The Secret Deal
by FairyTailxNaLu
Summary: She's an actress and he's a heir. They don't know each other but destiny doesn't care. They're quiet not the perfect pair but sure enough they have those stares. They are not friends but rather a strange with each other. When they made that secret deal, they didn't know where it led them to. Meet Lucy, the series princess and Natsu, the Dragneel heir.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

" _Ms. Lucy!"_

" _Lucy, look over here!"_

" _Lucy!"_

" _This way Ms. Lucy!"_

The paparazzi all shouted as a blonde actress exited the network that she worked on. The actress was stunning, despite being night, her blonde hair stood out and swayed as she struts away from the exit. She hid her face with a shade and a hand blocking all the flashing of lights of the press' cameras. She walked away and heads to her vehicle, the network's security guided her to ensure the safety of the actress. As soon as the door to her van was opened by her personal assistant, the so called series princess quickens her pace to enter her van.

" _Ms. Lucy! Just one photo!"_

" _Just one look, Ms. Lucy!"_

The paparazzi called as they rushed to steal a photo of the actress but then Lucy quickly entered her van and soon the door was closed and moved away from the parking of the network. Seeing the vehicle leave, the press couldn't help their selves to feel down and disappointed after all, the actress was involve to a very interesting rumor.

"To bad I couldn't get her a picture of her face…" One photographer shook his head as he checked his camera to see if he was able to get any photo of the actress. The other press nodded as he agreed about not getting any good photo, "Yeah, she's good in hiding her face. She must be really embarrassed about her and Loke."

"Well who wouldn't? She is rumored to be dumped and now, a stalker to the actor."

"I guess it's true…she wouldn't be hiding if it wasn't true." The two paparazzi began to laugh as they walked away from the parking and left the vicinity.

* * *

As the van continued to drive by, the personal assistant who sat next to the driver looked at her back and smiled towards the blonde actress. "Ms. Lucy, I don't think there are any paparazzi following us anymore, you can take your shades off…" The violet haired girl said as she just kept her gaze to the actress who seemed to be deaf for its no response, "Ms. Lucy?"

"I heard you" Seriously replying back by the blonde, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Oh." The assistant then turns and looks away as she was scolded again by the cold hearted actress. Being in a deadly silence, the driver looked at the assistant to check up on her. But then, he was taken aback when he sees her holding its tears after the cold response of their boss.

"Oy, Laki…Why are you crying?" Max said as he looks back at the road then back to the girl

"I-I-I'm…not crying…" Laki answered trying hard to hold her sobs but then her tears began to fall which made her wipe it away to keep her façade but miserably failing.

"Oy, quite crying, she'll just hear your sobs and get annoyed more!" Max whispered loudly as he leans towards the assistant, "I know, I know, I know…"

"Laki…stop crying. It's annoying." Lucy suddenly said making the two stiffen in surprise, "And Max, keep your eyes to the road. Stop talking."

"HAI!" The two shouted as they nodded at the same time

"Keep your voices down you two, it hurts my head…" Lucy began to rub her temples as she leans down to her seats' arm handle.

"Hai…" The two whispered softly before finally silence reigned in the van. And with that the trip to the blonde's home, was insanely silent.

Within minutes, the vehicle arrived to the blonde's condominium building and the assistant hurriedly steps down to open the door for her boss. As it slides open, Lucy slowly steps down and lowers her shades as she looks at her surrounding. After noticing that the place to be free of camera people, she puts back on her shades and began to walk towards the building.

" _There she is! Lucy!"_

"Lucy-san! Run!" Laki shouted as soon as she saw a group paparazzi running towards their van. Hearing her assistant shout, she began to feel adrenaline rush run her veins and so she doesn't need to be told twice and began to run. Sprinting away from the entrance, she glanced at her van and saw many paparazzi trying to overpass the security of the building, her assistant and driver. Seeing the crowd, the blonde-haired star couldn't help herself but to run faster and reach the buttons of the elevators. As she continuously press the button and glance at the entrance, she spotted a photographer being able to escape the human barrier and run after her.

" _Ms. Lucy! Just one photo!"_

"Ahhh! Nooo!" Lucy exclaimed as she looked away and harshly pressed the button of the elevator, until it rang and opened for her. She quickly enters and presses the elevator to close. As she stood to the end of the elevating machine, the paparazzi ran after her trying to catch her but then the door closes and the flash of the camera descends.

"What is with these media?! My goodness!" Lucy shouted to no one in particular as she stood inside the elevator. Thinking she was alone, she started to raise her arms up in exasperation until she hears someone clears their throat. She quickly turns and sees an elevator operator standing attentively, "Floor ma'am?"

"Oh…uh…15th floor. Thank you." Lucy began to ran her hand to her long blonde hair and stood up straight as if she never acted like a wild person. As soon as the 15th floor was reached, the blonde walked out but then steps back just enough to whisper to the employee, "Lets just keep it to ourselves what you saw…okay?"

"Y-yes ma'am…"

"Thanks!" Lucy then looks down to his uniform and sees his name plate, "Nikko" and with that she left and walked her way to her home.

* * *

Entering her home, she slowly walks her living room and drops her heels as if she didn't care if she would be littering her things. Lucy is the kind of girl who likes her home to be neat and clean but right now, she didn't care because her day was just messier than her things. As she continued to stroll her living room, she headed to her long couch and slumps herself in tiredness. Unconsciously, she sighs aloud and she stares at her ceiling, "What the hell is going on with my life?" Lucy sighed once more as she tried to contemplate her day, "I mean come on! Just had a break up, my show is being cut short and now rumors are running about me and Loke!" Lucy then sits up straight and sees her reflection to her un-alive television, "Well, its more about me than him…ahhhhh!"

The blonde actress then stood up and started to stump her feet beginning to jump in frustration. "Ah! I hate you Loke! I can't believe this is happening!" Continuing to jump in madness, she didn't realize how tiring it was until she stopped and tried to catch her breath, "O-…okay. That-that was tiring" Lucy began to seat once more to her couch, doing what she just did until she notices her pouch. Quickly acting to it, she grabbed her bag and took out her phone. Dialing the person she knows who could she vent out to, she patiently waited for the person to answer.

" _Hello?"_ The person answered groggily

"Levy!" Lucy shouted excited as she hears her friend

" _Lucy? Why are you calling me this late? Don't you know its 3 o' clock-"_

"I know! I know! But I just need someone to talk too!"

" _Can't it wait till morning?"_

"It is morning"

" _Uh! Lucy!"_

"Oh come on Levy-chan, just for five minutes?"

" _No! Your five minutes is a five hours!"_

"Oh don't be exaggerative!"

" _Ah! Lucy! Let me sleep!"_

"Fine! But promise me-"

" _Yes! Yes! I'll call you when I am actually really awake!"_

Without waiting for the blonde to answer, the phone call Lucy did ended. The blonde star was just left wide eyes as she heard silence in the other end of the call.

"Hello? Hello?!" Lucy then looks down at her phone, "Ah! How can Levy just drop the call?! Doesn't she know how much I am in need of a friend?!" Slightly throwing her phone to the coffee table in front of her, she slumps herself back to her coach and just sighed away. Placing her forearms to her closed eyes, she tried to reflect on her day. But the longer she stayed in her position, she didn't realize how sleepy she was and so, in minutes, she fell asleep in her couch.

* * *

When the sun has come up, the blonde beauty was still sounding asleep in her couch caring less to where she was. Having an access to her boss' condo apartment, Laki started to put the littered things to its proper places. She began to roll down the actress' baggage and opened it in the large living room. Unintentionally waking the blonde up, Lucy begins to stir in her position and suddenly shoots up from her sleep.

"Laki?" Lucy called as she stared at the horrified look of her assistant, "What are you doing?"

"I-I-I! I didn't mean to wake you up!" Laki quickly stands up and begins to bow down several times

"Laki! Stop doing that! And can you not put my things away?!"

"but-"

"I'll do it. I have two hands okay?" Lucy raised her hands to emphasize her point which her assistant just agreed to, "Then what do I have to do today?"

"Have coffee…and make me one too" Lucy then stands up from her couch and heads to her room. After minutes, she stepped out again but this time in her comfortable clothes.

"Did Levy call yet?" Lucy asked as she kneeled down to her luggage and began to pull out clothes she just used. Looking at her boss, she shook her head before handing her coffee.

"Uh, that blunette…"

"What is your problem with blunette?" A voice suddenly asks making the two girls at home surprised

"Levy-chan!" Lucy rapidly stands and hugs her friend, "I thought you'd call?"

"Oh, I hate phone calls…So what happened to you?" Levy asked as she settles her bag to a table and heads to sit down at the blonde's couch

"Well, Loke happened!"

"Yeah, I heard…but what is the truth? Its not that I'm at your side because we are friends but I just want to know the truth…"

Hearing Levy's question, she sat down next to her and looked at her intently, "Its all lies…" Raising her brow, the blunette just waited for the blonde to continue, "Rumors are saying I was dumped by that asshole. But the truth is, I broke up with Loke because I caught him cheating on me!"

"What a thick-face!" Levy commented as she continued to listen, "I know right?! Anyways…so when I broke up with Loke two weeks ago, rumors began to come. Loke started saying to his interview that he dumped the most beautiful blonde the series' could have. So technically, he was talking about me."

Levy just nodded as she unconsciously tightens her fist, "Then?"

"The worst part of his lie was that I was stalking him because the media keeps on seeing me where ever he was in. People started assuming that I couldn't get over him and that is why I was stalking him."

Lucy then drinks her coffee in hand as she looked at her pissed friend, "My goodness! Can't believe Loke would do that!"

"I know right?! Its like as if I would follow him…I broke up with him peat's sake! Not the other way around!" Levy nodded as she listens to Lucy who just continued to rant. And as soon as the blonde got tired of talking, she looked at her friend in pure inquiry, "So what do you suggest me to do?"

"Well…I'm not much of a person who has many guy friends but I know who exactly you need to make this mess cleaned up."

"Alright...I'm listening" Lucy stated as she smirks mischievously to her friend

 **To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"What?!" Lucy exclaims loudly at her petite blue haired friend who cringes to her loudness. "I have to date?! I'm not to dating right now! Levy-chan, you said you know someone who knows guys that can handle my problem!"

"Yes! That's what I said but are you thinking that I'll ask for someone to kill Loke?!" Levy asks back with a curious look at the blonde actress who seems to blush, "W-well…it might have crossed my mind."

"Lucy!" Levy scolds making the blonde cringe this time, "He might have done you wrong, but he's still our friend!"

"Friend?! Your friend! Not mine anymore!" Lucy corrects as she points at the bluenette who just rolls her eyes, "Okay fine _my_ friend. You may be an actress, but life is not a movie where you'll call a gunman to kill someone who broke your heart!"

"Uh! This is pointless!" Lucy stands from the couch and walks towards her ceiling to floor window, showing the city she is living in, "What kind of plan is that anyway…"

When Levy came to Lucy's home, Levy asks her friend to explain what really happened to cause all the rumors. There she discovers that Loke, their friend, has cheated on Lucy making the Blonde woman break up with the orange haired actor. After the breakup, Loke started to spread rumors that he broke up with Lucy making her stalk him because she couldn't get over him. Now with the media siding Loke, Lucy has turned into an obsessed stalker after being spotted close to Loke in all events he went. But all of it were a coincidence since they were both actors and it was inevitable to be invited at the same time. Now, offering a hand, Levy tells her friend that she knew someone who has guy friends that Lucy might not know yet. Mistakenly thinking, Lucy assumes it was someone who can make Loke shut up for the rest of his life. But to Levy, she was talking about someone who can pretend to be Lucy's new lover.

"I can't start dating, it's just been a month since we broke up," Lucy says as she faces her seated friend, "and besides I'm not ready yet."

"So you're saying its fine for Loke to date any girl" Levy retortingly ask making the blonde look away after noticing a guilty face, "It like your making the rumor true after all…Loke should be the one to stop dating if he is the one you want to look like you dumped."

"Levy-chan, how I wish I can do that, but he's too self-assured to look pitiful" Lucy walks back to the couch and takes a seat next to her friend, "I need a way to diverse the rumor."

"And that is the only way, a new lover," Levy smirks victoriously as she feels that she will be winning this debate, "I'm pretty sure Lissana has someone she can introduce you to. I believe Gajeel knows him if I'm not mistaken."

"So you have a guy in mind?" Lucy inquires suspiciously to Levy who just nods furiously, "How sure are you that guy would even help? And I really don't get this plan…how would that even help me diverse the rumors?"

"Lu-chan, all you need is to fool the media. A man who is striking as Loke or better yet, more striking than Loke, will make the rumors fade as quick as it came. You just need to make the media believe you have moved on and that you are _totally_ over with Loke. Just make up a story then you'll start showing media that you are dating again with the guy Lissana will introduce you to"

"How sure are you it will work?" Lucy blankly asks

"Oh, anything that media can get with you and Loke. It will work" Levy then smiles as she has now played a plot in her head making Lucy shake her head in disbelief. Lucy knows that Levy can be very creative even in making up a story.

* * *

Few days came, Lucy focused herself to her work as she went on to her usual schedule. She'd go to the set of her series, do acting, take breaks, then shoot again before start packing up to go home. It went on for days until one night, still in the set, the personal phone of Lucy rang.

Laki, Lucy's assistant, holding on to the actress' phone, checks the ringing phone and notices a caller id, another actress' name, Lissana. Since it was Lucy's personal phone, Laki knows that it could be important, so she walks slowly to her boss and checks to see that the blonde actress is reading her lines. "Lucy-san…" Laki whispers as soon as she stood next to the actress

"Yes, Laki…" Lucy mumbles as she keeps her gaze to her script but then looks up when she hears her phone ringing.

"Eto…someone is calling you. Its Ms. Lissana" Laki then hands the phone making Lucy look at the caller id first before taking the phone, "Thanks, Laki." And with that Laki bows and steps back to give her boss some personal space.

"Hey Lis…" Lucy says as soon as she answers the call

" _Lucy! How are you?"_ Lissana greets back after hearing the voice of her friend. Knowing that Lissana's voice resembles a tone of a pocket of full sunshine, Lucy knew that Lissana is up to something.

"I'm good…so why'd you call?" Lucy finally closing the script as she leans back to her personal director's high chair

" _Oh nothing really, I just miss my friend is that bad?"_ Lucy then smiles at her friend's response knowing obviously that Levy has made a call to her silver-haired friend, "Yeah right Lis. Knowing you're dating Bickslow, I don't think so…"

" _Oh don't be mean Lu-chan! I'm serious I miss hanging out with the gang_ " Lissana says sweetly making Lucy believe her this time for real, "Yeah me too…So, what did Levy tell you?"

" _Haha, I know that I won't fool you with my introduction but yeah, I heard about Loke cheating on you and about that rumor. I'm glad to help!"_

"And what kind of help will that be?" Lucy inquires while smiling since she can no longer stop her self because of the overwhelming feeling of love from her friends, _"The kind of help that will put you back to dating zone!"_

"Thanks but no thanks…I'll go for being single at the moment."

" _But Lu-chan you can just pretend. Technically, you'll be single! You just need a front man as your boyfriend."_ Lissana insists making Lucy wonder what her friend is talking about, "And where will you find a guy who can do that? I'm very picky and many guys don't like that attitude."

" _I know someone who needs a diversion just like yours. I'm pretty sure you'll get along with him, he's carefree and doesn't care with other people's shit."_ Lucy then chuckles at Lissana's choice of words, "So what do you want to happen exactly?"

" _Meet him"_ Lissana simply says making the blonde actress freeze in her seat. Lucy knows that she'll never be ready anytime soon for a date again after what she's been through with Loke. But, seeing how her friends insist that she should start doing so to prove to the media and to the public that she is not the suspect but rather a victim. Confused to what she'll do, her time was up when the director starts to call her name. "Hey Lis, I got to go. It's my last shoot for today"

" _Lu-chan! Answer me first! Will you meet him tomorrow night?"_ Lissana stopping the blonde to drop the call. Lucy knowing that Lissana wouldn't stop calling her she bit her lower lip contemplating what answer to give.

"Uh! Fine, I'll meet him tomorrow night. But you better be there!" Lucy half whispers and shout at Lissana at the other end of the call, _"Of course! See you at Fairy Tail!"_

"Alright bye…"

" _Mata ne!"(see you!)_ and with that the call of Lissana ended. Staring at her blank phone, Lucy didn't expect her director to walk towards her and call her once again, "Lucy-san I've been calling you for a while now. Aren't you ready yet?"

Looking up to her director, she bows her head in apology and smiles shyly to Mr. Warrod Sequen, "Gomen Warrod-sama. Just had a call from a friend, but I'm all set."

"Alright then, go to the set already." And with that Lucy steps down from her chair and walks straight to the shooting area.

* * *

The next day came and as usual, Lucy had her schedule. It's Friday already so it would be the last shooting for the week. So Lucy went to set early in the morning, did her makeup and hair before going straight to shooting a scene. It happened all throughout the day, having breaks from time to time. When the clock strikes 7:30 pm, everybody, the cameraman, makeup artists, staff, stunt actors, directors, and actors, they were all exhausted already.

"Okay cut!" Director Warrod calls after re-watching and redoing the scene they just took with Lucy and one of her co-stars, "Let's call it a day, I expect everybody on the next location on Monday early. Our scene needs an early sunrise so I need the actors set before 4 am."

"Hai!" Everybody shouted even the actors and assistants and with that they all started packing up their things. Within an hour, all the staff are packed up and ready to leave, which goes for Lucy and her team as well.

"Lucy-san, we're set. All of your things are inside the van." Laki informs her boss who sat at the garden swing waiting to be called, "Okay Laki thanks. Let's go" Lucy then stands and went straight to opening the vehicle's door herself, beating her assistant to it, "Lucy-san! Let me do my job!"

"Laki, let me be a human…I know how to open a door."

"Demo…" Laki trails off when Lucy smiles at her warmly before the blonde actress fully opens the door and hops inside. When the actress disappears inside, Laki curiously tilts her head in wonder with her boss. She didn't know how she'll perceive her boss because Lucy at times would be strict and cold hearted but in the next minute she'll be sweet and thoughtful.

As soon as Laki sits at the front seat, Max starts up the van and waited for a minute before driving the vehicle. While waiting, Lucy wouldn't stop texting making her sigh loudly, catching her team's attention. "Lucy-san is everything alright?" Max inquires as he looks at the rearview mirror.

"Uh, yeah," Lucy says looking back at Max, "By the way, we're not heading home."

"Where are we going?" Laki this time asks the actress

"To Fairy Tail." Lucy nonchalantly answers before looking back down at her blowing phone because of a certain silver-haired actress.

Without further questions, Max accelerates the gas and speeds off back to Magnolia. The trip from Bassia to Magnolia would take an hour drive, so the actress took some nap on the way to Fairy Tail. As soon as Max enters the large drive way of Fairy Tail, Laki softly wakes the actress telling her they have arrived at the famous bar.

"Are we here?" Lucy mumbles as she sits up and begins to straighten her muddled hair. Looking at her assistant nod before sitting back, Lucy took her purse, checked the items inside before opening the door once the vehicle stops. Stepping down along with her boss, Laki helps close the door and stands in front of Lucy. "Lucy-san, we'll look for a parking, we'll find you inside."

"No, its okay Laki. You and Max can go home, it been a long day. You don't have to accompany me inside unless you want to party as well." Lucy smiles softly at her assistant who blushed slightly at her boss's comment, "Eto…I'd go home instead. If that will be fine."

"Of course Laki. Tell Max to drop you home and make him go home as well." Lucy says as she taps her assistant's shoulder, "But how will you go home?"

"I'm meeting up with friends so don't worry about me. Come on, go! Take a rest. I'll call if I need anything" Lucy faintly pushes her assistant to ride the van again to leave. When Laki rides back, the two assistant smiles at their boss before bowing and heading their way home.

Staring at her vehicle disappear, she suddenly realized how cold the night has been. It was already 8:45 pm and she had to forget to wear at least a jacket. The worst part of her clothes that night, she is wearing a skirt, of all the clothes to wear.

Before she could even complain more, a voice suddenly calls her attention making her look at the entrance of the bar, and there she see's her silver haired friend.

"Lucy!" Lissana runs up to her for a hug, which surprised the series princess. Hugging her friend back, Lissana begins to chuckle in excitement. "I thought you'd stand up on me!"

"I thought of doing that…" Lucy admits shyly as she smiles at her pouting friend, "You've become mean!" Lissana softly bumps the blonde's shoulder making them laugh together, "But it doesn't matter anymore. You're here and that's all that matter right now."

Lucy smiles at her friend before she plans to invite them to get inside because she was now getting cold already. But before she could even invite Lissana inside, the silver-haired girl beats her first, "Let's get inside as we wait for your date."

Hearing the word _date_ , Lucy stops from her tracks and looks at her friend peculiarly, "What date?"

"Oh did you forget? I'm introducing you to my friend!" Lissana claps as she explains

"Wait, you were serious?" Lucy pulling away from her friend, trying to escape, "I thought this is just hang out?"

"Yeah hang out, but you'll meet him too. I invited him, so you two can talk" Lissana says as she steps closer but the blonde just keeps on stepping back, "Oh no! Lissana, I told you that I'm not into dating" Lucy trying to smile to hid her uneasiness with the trap her friend has made

"Don't be ridiculous! You agreed to this. And will you stop stepping back?! You'll be hit by a car!" Lissana finally pulls the blonde making her squeak in surprise.

True to Lissana's word, a car passes by making Lucy exhale in nervousness. She glances up at her friend who eyed her as if telling _I told you so._ "Okay, sorry" Lucy raises her hand in defeat as she fixes her clothes, making Lissana fix her hair for her. "Alright…ah, look who's here!"

Lucy then looks at her back and there she sees a tall man, wearing a helmet and when the man took it off, she sees the familiar face of her friend's boyfriend. "Bickslow, what's up?" Lucy greets as soon as the man stands next to the short haired girl, "Sup Lucy? Long time no see."

"Doing good…After Loke, everything seemed to be a mess but now…I can say I'm good." Lucy smiles at the man chuckling remembering what his girlfriend had mentioned, "Didn't know Loke would cheat on you."

"How about let's not talk about it and just step inside Fairy Tail?" Lucy looks at the two adults before her making them nod. As Lucy walks ahead of the couple, Lissana suddenly yelps in excitement making Lucy halt from her walk and looks back. There she sees another man riding a big bike. It wasn't just any big bike, it was a black Ducati superbike 899 Panigale. She maybe a girl but she's into bikes, and seeing a man pulling off the image of a hot guy in big bikes, she's got her eyes on them.

Focusing on the man, she was taken aback when the man was actually wearing a semiformal outfit. The man was wearing a white long sleeve shirt. The sleeves were folded until his elbows and she can obviously notice how the sleeves are tight on his biceps. He had dark blue pants that fit him perfectly, accented by a dark brown belt. Staring at the spitting image of a hot guy, Lucy unconsciously bits her lip, anticipating how he looks. When the man takes the helmet off, Lucy anticipated for a dark hair but to her surprise it showed, pink.

"Pink hair?" Lucy disbelievingly commented as she kept her eyes to the newly arrived man. Hearing her friend, Lissana glances at Lucy and smiles widely, "Its salmon, he said it's not pink." Lissana then looks away and starts to walk closer to her newly arrived friend.

"Salmon? It's still pink…Weird" Lucy mumbles as she stares at the man. She may find the hair color odd, but she can't deny that the man was pulling off the hair. She loves pink and seeing the man pull off the look, she can barely keep herself from blushing as the man walks closer to their spot.

Lissana lacing her arms to the man, she giddily pulls the man closer to her boyfriend and friend actress, "Bickslow, you know Natsu." Natsu and Bickslow then fist bumps as they smile to one another before the called man, Natsu, glances at the side of the man.

"And Natsu, this is Lucy!" Lissana then runs to Lucy's side, making her step closer to the man. Lucy couldn't help but to blush even more as she stares at the deep black onyx eyes of the man that resembles a very intense gaze of a dragon, "Lucy meet Natsu!"

The man, Natsu, extends his hand for a hand shake to the blonde, which surprised the actress. What made her shock more obvious, is when the guy starts talking, "Hi"

Lucy consciously felt her heart leap hearing his voice. His voice was deep and raspy, she barely heard her response as she places her small hand to his large one, "Hi"

The place seemed not to exist for Lucy when she held his hand for a firm hand shake. She couldn't think straight and all she thought was how warm his hands could be. Knowing how cold she is right now, she couldn't wait for warmth envelop her.

 **To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Lucy was younger, she may have been the kind of girl who would fan girl whenever she would see her crush. Back in high school, she would blush and be embarrassed whenever she would talk to her crush. There was a time that when she was asked by her crush to prom, she actually spilled her drink to him, making the young teen be drenched in orange juice. It may have been one of the most embarrassing moment in her life because the next thing she knows, she was dateless to prom because the boy stood and walks away from her mumbling about never asking her out again.

From that day on, Lucy promised to herself that whenever she would be seeing someone she is into, she would be the most in denial girl the world had.

So now standing before a man who has the most captivating eyes and smile, Lucy is struggling to keep her fan girl mode within herself. She knows that she is blushing feverously and she can't help but to stutter as soon as she hears him.

"Hi," the man named Natsu said as he extends his hand to her, which Lucy takes with a shaking hand, either because she was cold or she was nervous. But most likely because she was nervous.  
"H-hi," Lucy says back as she grasps the hand. To her realization, Natsu has a bigger hand than hers and that his hand was warm despite the cold night.

Loving the warmth she is receiving from the hand of Natsu, Lucy barely notices that she is still holding onto the man's hand until a voice suddenly interrupts her daze.  
"Alright!" Lissana then claps making the blonde flinch in her spot. Lissana notices how Lucy has turned red as she realizes that she was being watched. Smiling widely, Lissana sends the mischievous grin to her friends, "Since, you both are here now and you know each other's name, we'll be going!" And with that Lissana turns to head towards the parking lot. Lissana quickly wraps her arms to her boyfriend who follows her gesture.  
Lucy was taken aback at first when she saw her friend suddenly turn and was about to leave her with a newly acquainted man. Snapping out of her surprise, Lucy quickly steps forward to call on to her friend, "Wait! Lis! You can't leave!"  
Stopping in her tracks, Lissana glanced at her friend with her smile still on her face, "Yes I can…"  
"What?! No, you can't! You promised!" Lucy stepping closer to her friend. Unaware, Natsu follows behind her and asks to no one in particular, "What promise?"  
Hearing him ask something, without looking, Lucy swings her arms to stop the man from talking but to her surprise, her hand suddenly stops at the man's face. Despite knowing that her action was embarrassing, she didn't look back at the man and kept her gaze to the grinning silver haired woman.  
Knowing the look she is receiving from Lissana, Lucy tries her best to act normal, which she is failing terribly as she began to feel her hand was being brought down by Natsu. Take note, his hand was holding onto hers.

Grinning even more, Lissana tries to calm her nerves because if she didn't she would have squealed already. "Lucy I promised that I would be there if you meet him. And I'm here! But I didn't promise that I would stay because I and Bickslow have a concert date to do." Lissana then looks up at her boyfriend who just grins at her friends before exposing his tough to the world. Laughing at her boyfriend's antics, she couldn't help but to glance back at her blonde friend.  
"I can't believe you, you'd leave me here?! Alone?!" Lucy said back as she puts on her betrayed face, but she knows that she was just pretending to be hurt. "Who said you're alone? Natsu's with you, right?"  
Natsu suddenly surprised as he hears his name, "Huh? What?"  
"See! He's not even listening!" Lucy complains again to her friend before glancing at the man behind her only to her surprise that he was looking back at her intently. With his intense gaze, she quickly looks away and focuses on Lissana. "Lis, you can't leave me with him! I don't know him!"  
"Well, you can start knowing each other! Come on Lucy, you'll enjoy his company"  
"No, I won't!" Lucy retorts back slightly stomping her feet in annoyance, but Lissana just giggles at her friend's childishness, "Alright now, we'll be leaving! Have fun!" And with that Lissana pulls Bickslow into a run as they headed to his motorbike. And in a swift move, the couple races away from the bar and heads to the road. Lissana then waves good-bye as Lucy tries to run and stop the two, but obviously it was impossible.

As the couple disappears from people's vision, Lucy couldn't help to exhale deeply. The reason she wants Lissana to stay is because she didn't know if she will be able to control herself from acting like a teenager again. She won't deny that the man behind her has swept her off her feet. But of course, she wouldn't show that, she needed to act in control and that she was not that kind of girl.

Turning rapidly to face the man, Lucy was surprised to see that Natsu was just standing a few steps away from her. Due to their proximity, Lucy somewhat tumbles backward. To hide her awkwardness, she suddenly points at Natsu who flinches at the blonde's action. "You!"  
"What? I didn't do anything…" Natsu defends despite being accused of nothing yet  
"Did you know that they had a fu-…freaking date?!" Lucy then bits her lips as she reprimands herself for being overly conscious about what Natsu will think of her if she cusses  
"No, I didn't." Natsu quickly raises a brow when Lucy suddenly screams in annoyance while throwing her hands in the air. "Hey, look, what's so bad about just hanging around?"  
Lucy swiftly looks back at the man with an obvious disbelief look, "You're asking what's bad about hanging around with _you?_ "  
"Yeah, for your information, I am a very fun person, Luigi." Natsu then smirks triumphantly as he boosts his ego. But as he looks back at the blonde, the girl was twitching in irritation. "What did you call me?"  
"Uhh…Luigi? Isn't that your name?" Natsu asks innocently when suddenly a shoe was flying his way making him catch the flying shoe instead of dodging it, "Hey! What was that for?!"  
"My name is not LUIGI, you IDIOT!" Lucy puffs in anger as she breathes tired after throwing her anger and shoe to the man, "I can't believe Lissana would even want me to you! And for your information, there is no way I'll like you!" Lucy steps close to Natsu making the man freeze until Lucy snatches her shoe from his grasp before turning to slip on her shoes and cross her arms under her chest.

Dumbfounded toLucy's retort, Natsu couldn't help but smirk at the pouting blonde. He wouldn't deny, she was cute when she was all shy when they shook hands. But seeing her mad, he couldn't believe that she was leveling with a person he knows, a girl who has red hair. Seeing her other side, from being shy to mad to annoyed, he couldn't believe that he finds Lucy cute and sexy at the same time. He knows to himself he is not thinking straight.

Just trying to go with the flow, Natsu begins to tease the woman again. "Well, who said I like you?"  
Lucy quickly looks back at him with an astounding look and her mouth agape. As if reading her mind, Natsu thought that maybe Lucy thinks how crazy he is for telling her the same thing she said to him. "You know what I'm leaving, I don't need this." _Liar._ Natsu thought to himself as he strides back to his motorbike when Lucy suddenly stops him. "W-wait!" Turning around to look back at the blonde, Natsu couldn't believe he was seeing another expression of Lucy. The _embarrassed look_ and among all her expression this night, Natsu finds it the most amusing. "What?"  
"Uh…" Lucy starts but closes her lips again as she debates to herself if whether she was going to be honest to the man or was she just going to insult him again, "Never mind!"  
Shaking his head in disappointment, he begins to turn again until he was halted once more when Lucy called out. Tiredly looking back at the blonde, he asks, "What now?"  
"Uh…don't take this in a wrong way but you can't leave." Lucy then stands straight as she places her hands to her hips as if she was trying to look mad. But her red cheeks gave her away.  
"And why not?" Natsu raises a brow to the blonde  
"Because I don't have a ride home…and I don't want to leave yet." Lucy then glances away as she felt her cheeks to heat up more, knowing that the man was now smiling back at her.  
"Who said I'll offer you a ride home?" Natsu teases making the woman scowl back at him as a response.  
"You're unbelievable!" Lucy bellows before turning around to enter the bar. With that swift move, Natsu races to her and holds on to the woman's small wrist. "I was just kidding!"  
Lucy then looks down at her wrist making the pinkette let go as he was caught red-handed, "Sorry."  
Sighing deeply, Lucy tries to calm down her nerves by closing her eyes. Then she looks up at Natsu, more relaxed, "You, know what, let's stop this stupid argument. I really don't remember what we're fighting about." Lucy and Natsu began to chuckle at one another as they realize how ridiculous they have been. They were having a pointless disagreement. "You're right…Shall we?" Natsu then swings his arms towards the entrance of the bar. Lucy then faintly chuckles at the pink haired man before walking past him to enter the infamous bar.

* * *

As the two maneuvered their way to the back part of the bar, where it was more private and less crowded, Natsu and Lucy found themselves exhausted. The two slumps their selves to the plush couch that is connected to their table. The two glanced at their surrounding until their eyes met.

For Lucy, she knows that her cheeks have turned red once again after seeing his intense gaze on her. No matter what she does, she can't help but be lured to his eyes. Despite his childish smirks at times, she couldn't doubt that this man could be compared to a sex god. Too hot to be ignored. With that thought, she is desperately struggling to keep her in check. She needs to act in control.

"Just so you know, I still don't like you..." Lucy says as she sits up, earning a chortle from the man next to her.  
"Don't worry, I still don't like you either." Natsu then watches the face of Lucy who showed her real emotions to him. He was fond of it, it was all real, no pretentions, just the way he likes it. "So, how did you know Lissana?" Natsu asks as he attempts to make conversation with the blonde, who was still annoyed.  
"So, now we're making conversions? Wow, you're impossible." Lucy sarcastically says as she rolls her eyes at the somehow offended man  
"Why are you even pissed? I didn't do anything to you..." Natsu then drapes his arms to the couch as he waits for the woman to answer back. His hand somehow brushes to the exposed skin of Lucy, making the blonde jerk.  
As Lucy composes herself, she sits sideways and looks at the grinning man, "You didn't do anything? Technically you said you don't like me, and you know how offending that is?" Lucy scowls each word before turning her back to the man. Natsu was bewildered with her comment. He thought that he was just repeating what she said, and now she's acting like he started the teasing.  
"For your information Luigi-"  
"It's Lucy!" Lucy shouts before looking away again  
"Fine, _Lucy_ , you started the teasing first. You said to me that you didn't like me, I was just copying you"  
Lucy quickly looks at the man astonished as if he was indirectly blaming her for all this nonsense arguments. Lucy tries to come back at the man, but no words came out. Her mouth just opened then closed, realizing she was like being a fish. Mortified how she looked, she swiftly turns away despite hearing the man chuckling. "Shut up..." That was all Lucy could come up, making the pinkette laugh even more.

When a waitress suddenly passes by, Natsu quickly calls her attention making the girl look, she soon heads towards them with a warm smile. "Yes, sir?" the waitress asked as she stood before the two  
"Can I have a whiskey on the rocks and..." Natsu began to whisper "Margarita for..." Natsu then points at the blonde who was still not facing him.  
But then Lucy notices how the pinkette trails off so she turns to gaze suspiciously at the man. Natsu looked tense but quickly relaxes his shoulder, "You know, the usual"  
"Alright, I got it, sir. Coming right up" The girl winks at the man as she was given a smile back  
"Thanks, Kinana." Then the girl disappears in the sea of people.

Lucy late realizes that she was not able to give her order. She quickly stood, trying to see the girl but to no avail, the girl emerged to the sea of people already. Annoyed once again, Lucy looks at the pinkette with her hands to her hips, "You didn't let me order my drink!"  
"So?" Natsu nonchalantly answers back  
"What do you mean so?! How am I supposed to enjoy the night if I don't even have a drink?!" Lucy then stomps her feet as she tries to impose her anger. "You're impossible! I can't believe Lissana would even want us to know each other if you are so full of yourself!" Lucy quickly snatches her purse laying in the table as she squeezes herself out of the booth.  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Natsu suddenly sits up and stares stunned at the walking out blonde  
"It's none of your business. Enjoy your _drinks_ " Lucy then steps away from the table and soon disappears as well in the crowd.

Seeing Lucy walk out, Natsu started to battle in his head whether he should follow and try to stop her or just let her go. In all honesty, he didn't mean to piss off the woman, he was just having fun teasing her. He didn't expect her to walk out. So finally having his decision made, he stands and steps out of the booth only to be stopped by Kinana holding on to the tray full of liquor. "Natsu-san?" Kinana starts to wonder as she steps inside the booth  
"Kinana just put it there, I'll just catch up to Lucy." Natsu then taps the shoulder of the violet-haired girl. As Natsu was about to emerge in the crowd, Natsu was suddenly pushed by a blushing and panting blonde, making him stumble back to their booth. "Luce? What happened to you?" Natsu looked at the huffing blonde who just walked past him.  
"Shut-up, I need a drink," Lucy said as she sits in her previous spot and snatched the margarita.  
Stunned to what just happened, Natsu suddenly looks at the blonde suspiciously, knowing that something did happen.

As he slowly returns to his seat, Natsu kept his gaze to the drinking blonde. He knows that he is being ignored by the blonde, which made him irk at one point. But his annoyance suddenly disperses when he saw the blonde stiffen after hearing a certain name.  
"Yo Loke!" a voice screamed against the blaring music

Despite the loud music in the dance floor, Lucy didn't miss the name she just heard. If it wasn't much of a big deal, she just heard her ex-boyfriend's name. Her ex-boyfriend who has spread the rumor that she was an obsessed stalker. She saw him moments ago as she walks out on Natsu, and it wasn't cool. Realizing that the name was call nearby, which only means, he was close to them now. "Shit." was all Lucy utters as she puts down her drink.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

Hey **guys!**

 **Did you see the latest chapter in manga?! It was intense! and at the same time it was mind blowing! Like Zeref started saying thanks to Igneel, to Mavis, to...wait, am I spoiling it? sorry! hahaha**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter! Leave a review if you like! And by the way, thanks to Reaper495, laxusdrayer2324, MirajaneStraussfan and to the two Guest for leaving a review. Hope you enjoy the chapter! And for the others who followed and favorites this story, Thank you too!**

 **Stay awesome guys!**

 **Love,**

 **FairyTailxNaLu**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You didn't let me order my drink!"  
"So?" Natsu nonchalantly answers back  
"What do you mean so?! How am I supposed to enjoy the night if I don't even have a drink?!" Lucy then stomps her foot as she tries to impose her anger. "You're impossible! I can't believe Lissana would even want us to know each other if you are so full of yourself!" Lucy quickly snatches her purse laying on the table as she squeezes herself out of the booth.  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Natsu suddenly sits up and stares stunned at the walking out blonde  
"It's none of your business. Enjoy your _drinks_ " Lucy hissed then steps away from the table and soon disappears in the crowd.

As soon as Lucy walks away from the pink-haired man, she squeezed herself into the crowd. To be honest, there was no place to squeeze in, so Lucy just keeps on moving to a place where there was space. As she kept on going, she realizes that she was not getting anywhere nearer to the entrance, so quickly she stops in her spot. The moment she does, a certain orange haired person caught her attention and she wouldn't deny she shivered in nervousness, thinking it might be someone she knew. As quick as she notices the person, the answer to her question was given instantly when she heard someone call out, "Finally you arrived, _Loke!_ "  
Lucy suddenly froze in her spot, making her have a glimpse of Loke's figure. The orange-haired actor was still the same, the good-looking guy in a suit. As soon as she was bumped by some stranger, she turns around and tries to walk away. She tries to get away from the spot afraid that she would be noticed. But thank the heavens, it was too dark for her blonde hair to stand out, so she just kept on walking.  
So with that, she quickly retracts her steps, still trying to get out of the place. Without realizing, she suddenly spots the booth that she came from. So without hesitation, she walks back to their booth only to be met by Natsu, who seemed to be looking for someone.

Realizing that it could be her that Natsu is looking for, she pushes the man by his chest, making the man stumble backward, "Luce? What happened to you?" Natsu asked as he gazes at her with pure worry, which she didn't understand why. Lucy didn't realize how tired she felt when she was finally out of the crowd. She was heaving tiredly, felt her cheeks warm, and have a dry mouth. So without minding the man, she walks past him and states, "Shut up, I need a drink"  
Lucy quickly sits in her previous spot and grabs the margarita that was sitting in the table. Despite noticing the suspicious look of the man to her, she chooses to ignore and just enjoy the stolen drink from Natsu. Soon enough, the pink-haired man sits next to her but the way he gazed at her didn't change. She knows for a fact that it was annoying him that she wasn't giving him any attention or explaining what happened. She found it amusing because she didn't know how much she has caught the man's attention to start acting like that. And yet she also finds it odd because they barely know each other and she doesn't owe him any explanation.

As Lucy plans to continue ignoring the pinkette, she couldn't help but tense up her shoulder when she heard the name once again, "Yo Loke!" a voice screamed against the blaring music. Lucy knows that the music in Fairy Tail bar is so loud that you would be unable to hear your own voice. So she couldn't understand why she had to hear her ex-boyfriend's name despite the loud music.  
Lucy slowly glances at Natsu with wide eyes when she realized that Loke was just nearby, "Shit" the last word she uttered before she started scrambling in her spot.

Seeing Lucy act ridiculous in her seat, Natsu unconsciously raises his brow at the woman, "What are you doing?"  
"I'm hiding!" Lucy exclaims as she bends to go under the table but her whole body barely made it under. The blonde quickly sits up and looks around once again  
"Hiding? From what?" Natsu curiously asks as he just watches the woman act frantically  
"More of who!" Lucy shouts back as she tries again under the table yet again, she fails  
"Then who?" Natsu nonchalantly asks as he leans his arm to the couch and rests his head to his hand  
"Will you just shut up and help me hide from Loke?!" Lucy screams loudly but not enough to overpower the sound of the music. Natsu was about to answer when Lucy cursed again, "Fuck he's here…"  
"Who's here?" Natsu then glances at the crowd, spotting an orange-haired man  
"Him, with the orange hair"

Without further questions, Natsu moves closer and covers the view of Lucy, who was taken aback by the swift move. "What are doing?" Lucy asks as she widens her eyes to the man  
Ignoring the questions, Natsu commands the woman in his serious look, "Unbutton two buttons, go"  
"Excuse me? Have you turned into a pervert?!"  
"Will you just do it?! I'm trying to help you here!" Natsu scowls at the woman who just raised her brow  
"How is unbuttoning my blouse help me?!"  
"If you won't do it, I'll do it!" Natsu was then about to open a button to Lucy's blouse when suddenly she swatted his hands away, "I'll do it! Goodness, what a pervert you are…"  
When two buttons were undone, Natsu quickly lifts Lucy and made her sit in his lap, making her straddle the man. Lucy gasps as soon as she was lifted and was brought down to the man's lap. Lucy quickly blushes as soon as she realizes she was sitting at Natsu's crotch and with her skirt skidding upwards, her red face turned even warmer.  
Without warning, Natsu began to brush Lucy's bare thigh with his hand, which made her shiver because of the warm sensation she suddenly felt in her guts. She instantly grabs his wrist and stops it from going further. Whispering huskily close to the man, she asks, "What are you doing?"  
"Um. . .helping" Natsu replies, helplessly gulping as he stares back at Lucy's eyes then to her plump lips, suddenly feeling the desire to kiss those red lips  
Lucy then leans even closer, slightly tilting her head, "Really?"  
Their breath was now fanning each other's faces, making them intoxicated with each other's warmth and heat. Not knowing what is happening to them, they were unconsciously leaning to each other having their lips almost touch when suddenly, "Lucy?"

Natsu and Lucy quickly pull away and looks at the person who just called the blonde. When Lucy looks at her back, she sees that Loke was standing in front of her, having a little debate in his head why she was in her current position. "L-Loke…"  
"Uh, hi…" Loke then steps closer and having a good look at Natsu, who was breathing breathlessly at Lucy's chest, "What are you doing here?"  
Lucy suddenly relaxes in her position, only to hear Natsu groan when she plopped down at his hardening crotch. Quickly gazing at the contoured face of Natsu, she smiles sheepishly and whispers, "Sorry"  
Noticing that Lucy's attention on him was suddenly forgotten, Loke clears his throat and sees Lucy lift herself off from the lap of the pink haired man and sits next to him while fixing her wrinkled skirt. When Lucy was finally seated next to the man, he walks closer and charmingly smiles at his ex-girlfriend. "Having a small party on your own?"  
"Excuse me?" Lucy's face quickly changes as she notices the tone that the actor used  
"I didn't know that you'd go the ex-"  
"Luce, button up your blouse, he sees your cleavage…" Natsu says to interrupt the man as he tries to button up the blouse of the woman. Lucy then thanks him as she finishes her buttons before looking back at the pissed actor, "What were you saying Loke?"  
"Never mind…so who is he? A guy you just pulled out of the crowd?" Loke insults as he eyes Natsu as if he is belittling the man  
"What?" Lucy asks irritated as she sends some death glare to the actor but was not moved at all. But Lucy was taken aback when Natsu suddenly stands up and extends his hand to introduce himself, "Name's Natsu, Natsu Dragneel"  
Surprised to hear the famous name, Loke unaware steps back but quickly catch himself and shows confidence again as he takes the hand of the man to give a firm shake. Loke was, even more, surprised when Natsu suddenly grips his hand too tight for his liking that he quickly pulls his hand away, "Loke, Loke De Leon"  
"I know, you're the playboy actor"  
"B-babe," Lucy shyly calls, "d-don't waste your time with him…" Lucy says while stuttering as she tries to catch the attention of the two males. Hearing Lucy call Natsu by a pet name, Loke suddenly choked in his own spit before clearing throat once more. "Lucy, who is he for you?"  
"Loke, he's my…date" Lucy then sits up straight when Natsu sits back down. Lucy began to run her hand to the man's chest, and boy she could feel the hard muscles under the clothes. "That's right Loke, you heard me right…"  
"Your date?" Loke repeats still surprised to the news he just heard  
"Why not? Because the last time I remember, I'm single…So, I'm on my date" Lucy then smiles mockingly to her ex-boyfriend and when she felt satisfied that she has hurt him, she glances at Natsu, only to see him mirroring the smile that she had on her face. Still trying to insult the orange-haired actor, Natsu pulls Lucy's hand to his lips and softly kisses her backhand. Despite knowing that it was only for show, Lucy couldn't help but blush and feel cherished by the way Natsu's lips kissed her hand.  
"Whatever…" And with that Loke walks away from the booth, annoyed as ever, and soon emerges in the crowd

When Loke was no longer seen around, Lucy suddenly cheers in her spot and drapes her arms to the pink-haired man's neck. Late realizing that she was hugging the man, Lucy abruptly pulls her arms away and tucks her loose hair. "Sorry, got carried away…"  
Chuckling at the blonde, Natsu just shakes his head in disbelief, "Alright, might want to explain what just happened?"  
Smiling genuinely back at the man, Lucy looks at the man under her lashes and softly answers, "I guess I owe you that…"

* * *

"So technically, it's all bad rumor…You dumped him after cheating on you, then suddenly turns the story, making you the one being dumped and became an obsessed ex-girlfriend stalker" Natsu then smiles as he shortly summarizes the story that Lucy just told him.

After a few drinks of whiskey and tequila, Lucy could be seen somehow tipsy. But still hanging on to her sanity, she giggles at the man as her response. Seeing how Lucy was like a childish girl with her laugh, Natsu couldn't help but ruffle the woman's hair and smile back. "I guess that explains why you are so frantic when Loke was approaching…" Natsu then smirks when Lucy's face suddenly scrunches  
"Can we not. . .talk about me anymore" Lucy says as she swings her hair to the right exaggeratedly then stares at the pink-haired man, "So…what's _your_ story?" Lucy then smirks in victory as if she hits a sensitive spot to the man's heart but alas, Natsu just raised a brow at the intoxicated woman. "Well, if you're thinking it's something too sensitive to talk about, you're wrong."  
"Oh~ is that sooo?" Lucy slowly slides closer to the man and crawls her finger to the chest of the man, who just snickers at the attempt of the woman  
"Alright, my story is not that dramatic compared to yours" Natsu simply starts his story, making Lucy rumble as if she was annoyed with the comment of the man, but then her smile gave her away, "Let's just say that my family owns a big business and I'm handling it along with my father. So, now, my mother is afraid that I'd end up as a single man forever"  
"Ohhh…afraid not to have grandchildren?" Lucy comments just making the man smile in return  
"I guess so. So, yeah, my mom started arranging blind dates for me. And I'm sick of it" Natsu quickly ends it before grabbing his glass and finishes his whiskey  
"Sick of it? Why? Aren't the women your mother arranging for you somewhat like supermodels? You should be happy about it!" Lucy emphasizes as she slams the table with her palm before sitting up and grabs a new drink  
"Yeah they are and at first, I was…excited about it. But as it went on, I just got tired of those kinds of women" Natsu then glances at Lucy who was totally wasted after finishing up a whole glass of his whiskey, "You know, you just drank my drink…"  
"I fucking don't care… _hik!_ " Lucy started hiccupping, making the man chortle  
"Yeah you don't…"  
"Finish your story~" Lucy whines as she tries to sit up straight but always falls towards the table, "You didn't tell me why you needed. . ." Lucy then exhales loudly, "a stupid diversion"  
Natsu fixing his gaze at the blonde first as he tries to checks if Lucy was still in her sanity before he answers, "Because I'm tired of going to blind dates to find a wife. And so, Lissana suggested this idea, you, about pretending to be my girlfriend in front of my family. And I think it's stupid, I don't think it would work so easily"  
Lucy then audibly inhaling and exhaling with her eyes close, when she suddenly surprises the man by looking straight to his eyes, "If you say so…" then came a boisterous laughter from the blonde. Natsu knew Lucy has lost her sanity as she laughs by herself. So to expresses his thoughts, he suddenly shakes his head in astonishment as he grins at the wasted woman, "You know what, time to go home. It's passed midnight anyways."

And with that Natsu stands from his seat and helps the blonde stand as well to start walking out of the bar. What seemed forever to get out of the place, Natsu and Lucy was finally in the open air. Clueless to their surroundings, a few flashes pointed to them but this goes unnoticed by Natsu and Lucy as they walk towards the motorcycle of Natsu.

As soon as the big bike is in view, Lucy started to skip towards the vehicle. When she reached the bike, she twirls around to look at the grinning man, and seeing him walk slowly, she decided to walk closer and pull him to her as she cheerfully whispers to him, "I like your bike"  
"Really? Why? Are you into bikes as well?" Natsu asks as his smile just keeps on growing  
"Hmm, not really! But I know what kind of motorbike this is…" Lucy giddily replies as she wraps her arms to Natsu's neck who just smiled back, "Alright, what is he?"  
"He? Ohh…what's his name?" Lucy childishly asks as she runs her fingers to the end of Natsu's hair  
"Tell me what kind of bike he is first…" Natsu insists as he leans his forehead to hers  
"Fine…" Lucy pouts, which Natsu found adorable, "Black Ducati superbike 899 Panigale"

As soon as Lucy states the kind of bike Natsu had, he wanted to capture her lips instantly but Lucy quickly shoves Natsu's face away as she giggles to herself. Natsu just then scowls as he stumbles back. When Lucy wasn't slowing down her laughter, Natsu just shook his head in disappointment, "As if you will be able to kiss her…" He mumbles to himself before walking closer to the blonde again.  
"Okay, time to go…" Natsu then guides Lucy towards his bike. When Lucy tries to stop her titters, Natsu grabs his helmet and wears it to the blonde. He secures the helmet to Lucy's head before taking a seat to his bike.  
"Natsu, how am I going to seat here? My skirt…" Lucy then looks down at her skirt which was all wrinkled, "Here," Natsu then hands his sleeve shirt, leaving him wear a white v neck, "wear this, it might cover you up until your thighs"  
Shyly accepting the shirt, she slowly dresses herself and buttons the sleeve shirt and true to Natsu's guess, it ended just right in the middle of her thigh, "Thanks"

And with that, Natsu helps Lucy ride the bike and within a minute they were speeding off to Lucy's apartment. The ride was a good 15 minutes, with the cool air blowing at their faces and just stare at the almost empty streets. When Lucy and Natsu arrive at the condominium, Lucy quickly offers the man some coffee to be able to sober up. Natsu hesitated at first but the blonde just started tugging the man to enter and tells him to be comfortable in her living room as she grabs some coffee.

"Luce, you really don't have to make me coffee…" Natsu calls out as he scans the pictures displayed in the tables when he suddenly hears Lucy, carrying a wobbling cup of coffee  
"Nope! I insist, after all, you gave me a ride home…" Lucy states when suddenly she trips over the untied carpet

When she felt that she was losing her balance when she tripped, everything happened so quickly. She knew she was still trying to control her fall but the coffee in the cup was spilling everywhere, until half of it was thrown at Natsu.  
"Uh! Hot!" Natsu exclaims as he steps back because of the sudden contact of the hot liquid  
"Oh my goodness! I'm _so_ sorry!" Lucy quickly settles the cup to the nearest table and approaches Natsu. As she stood before him, a big coffee mark greeted her, "Shit! Your shirt! Let me get something to wipe it off!" and with that, Lucy sprints away from the man and went back to the kitchen  
"Hey, Luce! It's fine!" Natsu tries to call the blonde back but the woman just won't listen. Since he was drench in coffee, he suddenly felt uncomfortable with his stained shirt  
"You know what Natsu! Give me your shirt I'll give it a quick laundry!" Lucy shouted from the kitchen before she appears again in the living room carrying a wet cloth to clean off some of the stains.

As soon as she sees the living room, a heavenly stripping man greeted her. Yes, she wouldn't deny that she suddenly felt hot, all through her body. Heck, she was left speechless when she watch Natsu took off that _dirty_ white shirt. Unaware of her actions, she suddenly bites her lower lip as she scans Natsu from head to toe then back to his face. Natsu hasn't noticed her return yet, so she silently walks closer to the half-naked man in her living room. If she was to describe what she was seeing, she'd say, Natsu have a glorious body, with six pack abs along with his v line, his glistening tan skin, muddled pink hair and his lean muscles. Oblivious that Natsu has finally noticed her appearance and walks up to her, he notices how Lucy was ogling at him.  
"Luce" Natsu calls, yet the woman was still eyeing him as if he was some delicious candy, so with that Natsu snaps his finger to the woman, "Wh-what?" Lucy quickly snaps out of her trance as she blushes that she was caught staring  
"The shirt?" Natsu then raises the stained shirt when suddenly, the blonde quickly snatches it away, "Right, wait here" and with that Lucy fastens her walk away from the man, stumbling at the process.

When Lucy left the man, she was cautious that she had a stranger in her home. A stranger who was half naked in her living room and she thought, she didn't mind, heck, she even likes the idea. As soon as Lucy enters her laundry room, she began to turn on the machine and put the laundry soap. As she was about to put in the shirt, she suddenly felt the curiosity what he smelled like. So in a swift move, she lifts the shirt to her nose and smelled the shirt. It smelled like woods from a tropical forest and a hint of cinnamon, "My goodness, why does he smell good…"  
"Luce?" Natsu calls to her once again making her snap out of her daze  
"Coming!" Lucy shouted before she gave the last sniff and drops the shirt to the machine to start cleaning it.

When Lucy steps out of the laundry room, she quickly hands Natsu a towel to cover up himself. Glad to take the towel, Natsu began to clean himself first as Lucy takes a seat opposite to the man. While Natsu cleaned himself, Lucy couldn't help herself but keep her eyes to Natsu and unconsciously bites her lower lip while slowly unbuttons the sleeve shirt she borrowed from the man. Once Natsu was done, he quickly sits down and gazes up at the blonde woman. Taken aback by how Lucy was gazing at him, he suddenly felt aroused, because damn, Lucy just looks like a seductive goddess. So he clears his throat to snap himself and Lucy out of their dazed.

Hoping that Lucy was no longer looking overly seductive for his liking, Natsu slowly looks up again. But unfortunately, Lucy still looked the same, and if possible, she looked, even more, enticing.  
"Natsu~" Lucy purrs as she slowly crosses her legs and leans back to the couch as she slowly runs her fingers to her blouse's buttons  
Clearing his throat once more, Natsu gulps first before answers back, "Yes…"  
"Do you find me beautiful~?" Lucy teases as she leans forward, pressing her chest forward  
Another clearing of throat came from Natsu as he looks sideways when he felt his cheeks to flame up, "I-I guess so…"  
"You guess?" Lucy fell silent for a second before she continues, "Will this make you have a clear decision?" Lucy asks softly, making Natsu look back at her. And when he did, she was beginning to unbutton her blouse slowly, which made him panic because the woman who was intoxicated is beginning to strip. "W-wa-wait Luce!" Natsu suddenly stands up and stops Lucy's hand, "You can't strip here…"  
"And why not?" Lucy asks innocently as she tries to pull Natsu's hand away from her  
"Because!"Natsu exclaims loudly because of his panic  
"This is my house" Lucy bluntly answers  
"I know! But. . . I'm here!" Natsu's face was now red as he was able to have a glimpse of Lucy's flawless chest  
"So?"  
"Ahh! I thought you're not drunk anymore?! But look at you!" Natsu exclaims first before he helps Lucy stand and push her towards her room, "Better sleep that off!" Halfway through the door, Natsu turns around and returns to his spot.  
"Okay. . . just so you know, you're missing out these" Lucy says as she stands before her door, waiting for Natsu to look back at her  
Looking back at the blonde, Natsu's eyes suddenly gawks wide when he sees her standing before her door in just her lacy black underwear and leopard bra. The sight would have been the best, but taking advantage to a drunken woman was not Natsu's style. So he quickly looks away and mumbles to himself, "You will be the death of me Luce"

When he hears the door closes, he looks back at the previous spot where Lucy stood and sees that she was no longer there except her discarded clothes, he let out a heavy sigh. "She will totally be the death of me…"

 **To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _KRING! KRING! KRING!_  
"Uh! Shut up!" Lucy shouted as she scrambles in the bed trying to untangle herself in her duvet until she was able to free herself from the comforter and slams the alarm clock off. As she did, she quickly sits up in the bed, she squinted her eyes as she tried to adjust her vision while she skimming the room. At first, she was having a hard time to recognize the room, until she saw her pink makeup table against the white bedroom.  
"How did I get here?" Lucy said to herself before she looked down to her bed to see her surroundings more. But what she didn't expect is to see herself in the state she was in, "AHHHHHHHH!" Lucy shouted as she began to pull up the comforter to her chest closer as to cover every flesh that was exposing to anyone eyes. Quickly panicking, she scanned her bed and checked if there was any guy she was with, "How the hell did I end up just wearing my bra?!" Suddenly recalling the night before, her eyes grew wide as she recalled the pink-haired man, "Oh my god! Natsu?!"  
As she anticipated for a reply, she bit her lip in fear to hear a man's voice. But as a minute ticks by, no voice came and just sounds of her room echoed in her ear. And with that, Lucy slowly lowers down her legs and as she stands, she was taken aback to see herself only wearing her bra and panties, which made Lucy blush furiously as she quickly runs to her closet and took her bedroom robe.

When the bedroom robe was secured to her body, she skimmed her room last time when suddenly she notices a yellow sticky note stuck in her lamp. Slowly walking towards the lamp, she couldn't help but be curious why on earth she would see a strange note sticking to her lamp. When she was within reach to the paper, she quickly snatches the paper and read the short note.

 _It was nice meeting you  
Lucy.  
See you soon.  
-ND_

Chuckling at the note, Lucy couldn't help but smile as she imagined the man saying the words to her in person. As she found herself staring at the sticky note after memorizing it word for word, she swiftly draws the drawer in her nightstand and drops the note. For the nth time, she gave a last look to the note before she mumbles to herself, "As if we'll meet again" then Lucy closes the drawer before stepping out of her room. As soon as she closes the door to her bedroom and scanned her living room, she immediately spots her clothes that night, wherein her skirt and blouse was laying on top of her couch. Lazily walking towards her discarded clothes, she quickly notices another note sticking by a cup placed on her coffee table.

Dropping herself to the couch, she hesitantly looked at the note first before deciding to take the note and read it aloud:

" _I finished the remaining coffee in the cup.  
Thanks  
-ND"_

"Coffee?" She repeated curiously as she tried to recall any instance she drank coffee with the man but as soon as she tried to recall, she suddenly remembers what happened last night. She recalled how she tripped to the carpet and spill half of the hot coffee to the man's white shirt, "Oh my god! The shirt!" Lucy then hurriedly stands from the couch and rushes to her laundry area, only to find another note by the washing machine. Snatching the note for the third time, she reads aloud again.

" _Thanks for washing my shirt.  
You spared me laundry.  
-ND"_

"So, technically he left after his shirt was done?" Lucy asked to no one in particular as she raised her brow in wonder. When she was convinced that the man just left after his shirt was clean, Lucy just shrugs off her shoulder as she walks out of the laundry and headed back to her room to keep the notes. And just like the first note, she drops the note in her drawer before swiftly closing it.

After the oddness of her morning, Lucy recalled that it was a Saturday. And Saturday mornings for her starts with a jog. So as soon as possible, she went straight to her bathroom and readied herself for a morning jogging. Soon enough the blonde actress left her condo and started her morning exercise. She ran with her hot pink sports bra, black running shorts and pink and black Nike free run. As she took her usual running route, she had her IPod strapped to her right upper arm as her favorite playlist was on.

Jogging has become part of her morning routine every weekend because that is the only time Lucy gets feel like she could breathe again like no one is watching her and expects her to be the actress everybody wants her to be. Lucy's morning exercise every weekend is the only escapade she could do before she starts hiding in her home until weekdays come again.

As Lucy jog towards the nearest park to her condo building, her mobile phone suddenly rings within her secret pocket to her shorts. With her wireless earphone, Lucy accepts the call and hears a sweet voice, _"Hey Lucy!"_  
"Hey, who's this?" Lucy raggedly asks as she kept her pace  
 _"Me, Lissana,"_ the person said back  
"Oh, hey Lis! What's up?" Lucy immediately smiled after knowing it was her silver-haired friend who called her  
"Good! How about you?" Lissana's voice resembled the voice of a little girl who's trying hard to stifle her excitement  
"Um, yeah, good I guess" Lucy shrugged as she recalled her exact morning once she woke up  
"You _guess_? I heard you had _a lot_ of fun _last night_ " Lissana teased making Lucy raise a brow  
"And who said so?" Lucy sarcastically sounded as she asked back the woman  
"Natsu" Lissana nonchalantly replies back to the blonde who suddenly stumbles in her run after hearing the name of the man she spent the night with, just drinking, though. Good thing, Lucy was just in the phone and Lissana couldn't see her at all. And she was, even more, thankful that she is not seen by her friend because her face suddenly gained a blush.  
Halting for a minute in her jog, Lucy tried to compose herself first after realizing that few strangers saw her tumble. As she tried to catch her breath, she places her hands to her hips while looking around the people who stared back at her.  
Lucy swallowed first then took a deep exhale before she started asking again, "Natsu?"  
"Yeah"  
"What . . . did he say?" Lucy paused in between her sentence as she continuously catches her breath  
"Oh, nothing much besides that you both had a good laugh in Fairy Tail, you both almost kiss-"  
"What?! Kissed?! We didn't kiss!" Lucy shouted back as she had her eyes wide open, making the people around her look at her nervously. Noticing the look of the people around her, Lucy quickly changes her expression and began to whisper, "Lis, he's lying"  
"Oh who cares. And besides, he said, almost kissed…" Lissana defended making Lucy roll her eyes despite being unseen by her friend  
"Still, we didn't kiss. And besides, he doesn't need to tell you does kind of stuff" Lucy replies back as she began to walk again still going to the nearest park  
"I forced him"  
"You're mean"  
"Well, I know you won't spill the bean if I asked you…" Lissana teased back making her laugh along with the blonde  
"Of course"  
"Exactly" Lucy and Lissana both smiled which the two knew they were doing the same thing, "But hey, have you seen your latest rumor?"  
"Well, if it's me about stalking Loke last night _again_ , which is not true, then I'm not interested," Lucy said as she kept her slow pace finally reaching the park. After reaching her end point in the park, Lucy quickly turns and heads back to where she came from  
"Well, it's about you and Loke," Lissana then smiled mischievously even if Lucy couldn't see the devilish smile, "But this time, with Natsu"  
"What?" Lucy suddenly stops from walking as she was taken aback from what she heard. But after some time, she began to walk again, "What did it say about us three"  
"I think it's better if you check it yourself"  
"Alright, then I'll call you later, I'll just finish my jogging before I return back to my place"  
"Okay! Bye!" Lissana bids goodbye to Lucy who ends the call and quickly jogs again.

After a good hour of jogging, Lucy was back at her condo, breathlessly and sweaty. Once she enters her home, she quickly enters her bathroom and began to shower. With her brisk shower, Lucy came out of her bathroom wearing her most comfortable clothes. Soon enough, she grabbed her laptop and phone and started to head towards the kitchen. As she opens her computer, she began to play her playlist again and started her cooking.

After preparing her meal, Lucy quickly attended to her laptop and began to search news about her. And with just one click, a new article about her appeared. Clicking a link, Lucy bit her tuna sandwich as waited for the page to fully load. When the page finished loading, Lucy looked close to the picture that was attached in the web page. The photo was her and Natsu laughing in the parking lot, as they headed towards somewhere, which she assumed was to Natsu's parked bike. "My god, I didn't notice paparazzi last night"  
Looking further to the article, Lucy scrolled down the page and began to read the article. Everything that was written there was just mere speculations about her moving on. The author of the article said that Lucy was finally moving on after being spotted with a tall pink-haired man. The man was still unidentified but it seems like Lucy has finally moved on from the Leo actor. The article even mentioned that Loke was spotted in the same place as Lucy, leaving with a scowling face, believing that the actor found the blonde actress with a date. With the frowning face, the author believes that the actor was disappointed that Lucy was finally moving on while him, he was beginning to be the stalker.  
"Ha! Serves you right!" Lucy exclaimed as she reread the part where the author assumes Loke to be the real stalker. As Lucy continued to read the article, she was taken aback by the end of the short article, "Seeing the series princess [Lucy] happy once again, it is no doubt that the actress is dating the man she is with, in the infamous bar. The actress hasn't smiled like that ever since the break out of her split up with Loke De Leon. Whoever this man is, is sure have captured the beautiful actress' heart. Can't wait to find out who he is"  
Lucy suddenly bites her lower lip as she stares at a photo next to the last paragraph of the article. The stolen shot was her and Natsu, where her arms were wrapped around Natsu's neck while the guy held her by her waist.  
"After all, Natsu _is_ my diversion…I'm no longer the obsessed stalker ex-girlfriend" Lucy beamed suddenly looking up and imagined herself being free from all the rumor. And with that, Lucy began to jump in her place and excitedly chanted about her being free from bad rumors. But as soon as she felt excited, she quickly realizes too that it wouldn't happen without Natsu's help.  
"I got to call Natsu…I have to thank him for helping me out." Lucy then ran to her couch as she tried to find her phone only to find it in her short's back pocket. Quickly pressing the call button, Lucy suddenly realize, she wasn't able to get Natsu's number.  
"How did I forget to get Natsu's number?!" Lucy then bites inner lip as she began to think what way she could get Natsu's number. When suddenly she recalled her silver-haired friend and with that she quickly calls her friend, "Hey Lis!" Lucy greeted once the call was accepted  
"Hey, Lucy! Have you seen it yet?"  
"I did! And oh my god, I am no longer the obsessed stalker!"  
"I know! Congratulations! I told you, putting you back in the dating game would help you get rid of that stupid rumor" Lissana proudly reminded making Lucy smile genuinely as she recalled the time Lissana tried to convince her to meet Natsu  
"Okay, I get. You win"  
"Haha, I know!"  
"Oh hey, I um…"  
"Yes?"  
"Can I get Natsu's number? I just want to thank him"  
"Alright, I won't ask why I'll just give it to ya" And with that Lissana ends the call. When the call ended, Lucy looked down at her phone, and soon a message came from Lissana. And there in the message, a number was posted followed by a short message by the silver-haired woman, _Go call him and have a date!_  
Laughing at Lissana's text, Lucy just shook her head in disbelief, "Lissana is really weird"

Soon enough, when Lucy was able to save the number in her contacts, Lucy began to pace as she puts the phone to her ear and waited for the call to be answered by the pink-haired man that she hang out with last night.

* * *

"Mr. Dragneel, this is the revised marketing plan for the upcoming project next week of the Dragon Empire group" An aged man then handed a folder to Natsu who was reading a file in hand. As Natsu takes the papers, he glanced at the charts and descriptions to study well the matter.

"Mr. Atlas, what is the result last time-" _KRING! KRING! KRING!_

Natsu was suddenly cut off in his sentence when his phone suddenly rang. It was a surprise to everybody in his office to see Natsu's phone ring in the middle of their meet. Slowly taking his phone out, a glanced at the screen only to see an unknown number. Thinking that it was a business call, Natsu answers the call and presses the speaker on.  
"Hello? Who's this?" Natsu asked seriously as he continued to scan the file in his hand while everybody return back to their task. The executives pretended that they weren't listening as they waited for the CEO to end the call.  
"Um, it's Lucy," everyone then looked up and stared at the surprised man, "…about last night" And with that Natsu quickly stands from his chair making the papers in his hand tumble out of his grasp as he tries to turn off the speaker. When he was able to do so, he gawking looked at the executives who were all raising a brow at him as if they couldn't believe that Natsu was out with a woman who was now calling him in the middle of their meeting.  
"Um, excuse, I'll just…" Natsu trails off as he just walks away from executives due to embarrassment

When Natsu was no longer earshot by the executives, Natsu quickly puts the phone close to his ear, "Hello?"  
"And I just wanted to-" Lucy continuously spoke at the other end of the call making Natsu guilty because he was not able to pause the blonde earlier, so he quickly interrupts the woman  
"Wait…um, can you start over again?" Natsu asked timidly as he scratches his head in defeat  
"You weren't listening?" Lucy replies annoyed  
"Well, I have a reason" Natsu began to stand tall as he prepared himself to defend himself  
"What's your excuse Dragneel?" Lucy counters back irritated  
"Okay, when I answered your call, I thought you were someone related to business…" Natsu then audibly swallows before he continues, "so, I turned on the speaker and my co-meeting members heard you say about last night and I just started panicking-"  
"You what?! You let the call on speaker?!" Lucy bellowed as she blushed, which was, of course, unseen by the man she was talking to  
"Yes" Natsu replies sternly  
"Oh my god! I must have sounded like a booty call!" Natsu began to panic as he hears Lucy's heavy stepping at the other end of the call  
"No-no-no! I uh…quickly excused myself" Natsu sheepishly smiled as he hears Lucy's puffs disbelievingly  
"Still!" Lucy screamed at the other end of the call making Natsu cringe in pain  
"I apologize," Natsu said back as he bows his head, but he instantly hears a soft chuckle from the woman  
"You sound weird…" Lucy suddenly commented as she tries to stifle her giggles, making the man chuckle instead which also made Lucy follow next  
"Alright, Luce, what made you call me?" Natsu asks as he walks towards a wall and began to lean down as he happily listened to the woman's voice  
"Just like what I said a while ago, our diversion worked and I wanted to thank you for your help." Lucy chirps back as she answers  
"Diversion? What do you mean?" Natsu asked back as he suddenly felt curious  
"Check the internet about me, I have a new rumor. I'm not the obsessed ex-girlfriend anymore but rather a woman moving on with a guy, _which_ is you"  
"Me?" feeling the real curiosity, Natsu couldn't help but grin as he felt amused  
"Yep…"  
"Oh-kay…then good for you" Natsu and Lucy suddenly fell silent, waiting for each other to continue the conversation, "So… I was thinking… since you helped me, I'll be willing to be your diversion" Lucy confidently answers back as she smirked victoriously, which Natsu could notice in her voice. But this only made Natsu raise a brow in interest, "No thanks"  
"No, I insist…" Lucy giddily stops the man, "so, uh…can we meet up? In Blue Pegasus café?" Lucy asked warily  
"I still doubt that, but okay. See you there in 2 hours"  
"Got that! See you later! Bye!" and with that, Lucy ends the call

Looking down at his phone, Natsu couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief as he mumbles to himself, "She is really weird" and with that Natsu walks away and heads back to his office to continue their meeting.

 **To be continued…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

When Lucy was told by Lissana that she had a new article, Lucy quickly checks the internet and found different websites talking about her, beginning to date again after being spotted in Fairy Tail Bar and Resto. She was seen together with a pink-haired man, which is Natsu, and the media immediately made it a new gossip about her. The articles all said that she was dating a new guy and that she is no longer the obsessed ex-girlfriend stalker of Loke De Leon. Feeling happy about getting rid of the bad rumor, she quickly started to rejoice but then she remembers that without Natsu, she wouldn't be able to pull off the unexpected diversion. And so, Lucy decided to get Natsu's number from Lissana to thank him and offer him something he wouldn't resist.

After the call Lucy made to Natsu, despite his hesitation, Lucy giddily ends the call and smiles to herself. As she stood in her room, she turned on her heel and glanced at her bed, "Oh-kay, I have two hours to waste..." Lucy then bites her lower lip as she thought of something to do.

In an instant, she decided to head towards her work table and begin her secret hobby, which is writing. She had dreamed publishing her own fiction stories and be a known writer. But with her job as an actress, she barely finishes her novel in time for her yearly plan goals.  
So, as she started writing she barely noticed how time flew by as she busied herself with her novel. When she began to stretch her sore muscles, she was able to glance at her desk clock and there she finds, she had 30 minutes left before their meet up.  
"Shit!" Lucy cursed as she pushed her chair backward and sped towards the bathroom. She began her brisk shower and within a few minutes, she was out and stood before her walk-in closet.  
"Alright, what to wear?" Lucy asked herself as she slowly walked into her closet and brushed her hand to her clothes. As she stops her hand to a white dress, she quickly pulls it out off the rack and placed it in front of her as if she was imagining that she was wearing it. She walked to her long mirror and studied herself, "Nope, too classy"  
She then returned the dress and kept on looking for new attire. She took out a black leather skirt and a peach sheer top, then once again she went in front of the mirror, "…Still no"

As Lucy returns to her set of clothes for the third time, she looked at all of her clothes in a wide view with her arms folded across her chest.  
"I just need clothes that look good for a Saturday coffee break…" she said to herself before nodding to herself and was about to take out another sheer top. But then she retracts her hand and stood back, "No, not that…I need to look beautiful in front of Natsu…"

 _Wait_ …

"Did I just say that I wanted to look beautiful in front of Natsu?" Lucy asked herself in disbelief before she gawked at her realization, "Oh my god! What am I talking about?! Lucy, get your shit together!" Lucy said to herself as she slapped her cheeks as if trying to wake herself up  
"My goodness!" Lucy exasperatedly sighed before grabbing a pair of jeans, "How about this?" Lucy glanced at herself with the jeans in front, "Okay this is good", and Lucy then walks towards her bed and drops the jeans. Soon she headed towards her drawers and stared at her folded t-shirts, "Which color should I choose?" Lucy flipped through the shirts and decided on a Pomelo pink v neck, unconsciously it reminds her of a certain pinkette.

So quickly dressing, she stared at her fashion. She wore a pomelo pink v-neck shirt and a faded blue ripped jeans. Nodding to herself in content, she heads to the closet of bags and grabbed her brown satchel. She grabbed her things, such as phone, wallet, and even IPod.

As she was about to leave her apartment, she suddenly remembers something, "Oh wait! I need a paper and a pen" and quickly Lucy dashed to her room and grabbed her last minute things. And soon she was out of her place.

* * *

After a few minutes of driving, Lucy arrives at the Blue Pegasus Café and heads towards it. She walked to the front door, she was being taken pictured and she, of course, noticed this. And she knew, it would be another article about her, hopefully about dating the guy she went out last night.

Proudly walking, with her shades on her face, she looked at the obvious media and gave a sweet smile. And soon she disappeared inside the café.

Lucy took a seat that was good for two only. With a small table, Lucy placed her bag on it and pulled out her phone. She checked the clock and it was 11:10 already. Looking around, Lucy tried to find any pinkette, but to her dismay, she found none.

As Lucy patiently waited, she ordered a salted caramel cream latte and a slice of Chicago cheesecake. She would glance at her phone from time to time until she realized it has been more than 15 minutes since she arrived at the café.  
"I thought I would be late, and yet he's later than me…" Lucy hissed as she slams her phone down on the table. When she no longer can take waiting, she grabbed her phone and decided to text the man but before she could even start texting, a young teen walks up to her and shyly greeted, "Um, hello Ms. Lucy Ashley"  
Looking up, Lucy saw a young brunette girl, holding her phone tightly in nervousness while greeting her shyly, "Hello" Lucy sweetly greeted back as she smiles towards the girl  
"Um, I'm a big fan of yours…do you mind if I ask for a picture together?"  
"Oh I don't mind, come," Lucy then stands from her chair and the young girl excitedly shoves her phone to her friend before heading next to the actress. Soon, the other teen asked for a photo and when they took the photo, the young teens thanked her. When her young fans left, another group of teens approached her and asked for a photo. Lucy jokingly asked if they were inspired by the two teens earlier and surprisingly for Lucy, they said yes  
"Thank you, Ms. Lucy!" One blonde girl said when their photo was taken, "My, gosh you're so pretty!"  
"Oh, thank you!" Lucy bashfully thank as she smiled at the girl  
"I'm a total fan of yours!" A brown haired girl exclaimed as Lucy smiled sweetly to her as she thanks the teen as well  
"Well, don't be shy to approach me for a photo if you ever want to," Lucy said to the group of teens as she taps one of the shoulders of the teens  
"Of course, we will! And oh," A black haired boy expressed as he steps forward to be noticed by the actress, "We're so happy for you that you have moved on with Loke."  
"Oh…uh, thank you?" Lucy surprised to hear that from a young fan  
"Let's go, guys, I think she's on a date with that guy…" the blonde teen shyly pointed at the back of Lucy making her raise a brow. When Lucy turned, she suddenly spots Natsu by the entrance of the café looking for her and when their eyes met, Lucy gave a soft smile which Natsu returned.

When Natsu was walking towards her, Lucy hardly hears the teens talking as they walk away, "Isn't that the guy on the internet with Lucy? Gosh, they look perfect together!" The young teen barely hid her excitement and Lucy just chuckles as she watches them walk away.

Finally standing in front of the blonde actress, Natsu noticed that Lucy wasn't smiling towards him instead, she was staring at the group of teens he walked pass. Giving a short glance at the group before looking quizzically at the blonde, he raised his brow, "Why are you smiling?"  
"And why are you late?" Lucy sweetly asks as she finally looks back at the young CEO  
Rubbing his head in embarrassment, Natsu coyly smiled at the woman before answering back, "Um, I almost forgot about our meet up"  
"Uh?!" Lucy exaggeratedly acted offended as she widens her eyes to the man, "How could you? I waited for you here for almost 30 minutes!" Lucy then places a hand on her heart as if she was stabbed but what was more amusing was the way Natsu looked, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to oversleep at my desk after the meeting" Natsu defended but his grin was becoming evident which Lucy found enticing  
"You have no sleep?" Lucy asked concernedly as she sits down along with Natsu across  
"Well, you kept me awake…" Natsu nonchalantly replied as he settles his suit jacket at the back of his chair. When he turns to look at Lucy, she was a bit red, "Are you okay? Your face is red…"  
"S-shut up!" Lucy retorted back as she looked away from the pinkette and grabbed her coffee instead to drink it. But as soon as she took her sip, she suddenly remembered something and so she sets down her drink. "Oh, by the way, have you eaten lunch? Let's order here"  
"I haven't eaten breakfast yet and I'm so hungry…" Natsu then grabs the drink of Lucy as he drank the coffee  
"Hey!" Lucy was stunned to see the man drink her coffee when suddenly she realized he placed his lips right where she placed hers. And she thought, _"Oh my gosh, indirect kiss!"_  
"Oi, Lucy!" Natsu snapping her out of her fantasy  
"Huh? What . . . What?!" Lucy snarled at the man who just chuckles back at her after seeing her day dreaming  
"I said, let's order 'cause I'm hungry" Natsu then folded his arms as he leans back to his chair  
"Right, uh…" Lucy then raised her hand and signaled for a waiter available. When a waiter came to them, Lucy began to give her order, "Um, I'd like a tuna salad sandwich with baked potatoes…how about you Natsu?" Lucy then glanced at the man  
"I'll have spicy chicken tomato pasta" Natsu casually said his order. Then Lucy looks up at the waiter and smiles again, "That's all…"  
"Alright…I'll just clarify, four servings of pasta, right sir?" the waiter asked the pinkette which made Lucy stare surprised at the man, "wait-"  
"Yes. Thank you" Natsu then smiled at the waiter and when the staff left, Natsu looked down at the blonde, "What?"  
"Can you really finish four plates of spicy chicken pasta?" Lucy asked worriedly  
"Yeah of course, and take note that is still based on my diet schedule" Natsu mischievously grins at the blonde who gazed at him surprised  
"Just kidding…but seriously, four plates is still a few" Natsu casually replies as he leans forward with his arms folded in front  
"Where do you put all those food in your body? You don't seem to be fat…in fact, your _fit"_ Lucy commented almost sighing contently which she didn't notice but of course, Natsu had to  
"Well yeah, I work out…and it seems like, you really give attention to my _body_ " Natsu playfully commented as he winked at her which made Lucy blush and deny what he said  
"No, I don't! it's just . . . you know, it's obvious your all . . . muscles and . . . um, stuff and not fats" Lucy crosses her arms under her chest making it more obvious for Natsu because of her tight shirt  
"Okay..." Natsu raggedly exhaled before looking away, "if you say so…" Natsu then leans back at his chair and began to glance back at the blonde and study her.

It may be just their second time seeing each other for a meetup but he couldn't deny the feeling like he has known the woman so long that he could casually talk with her. The last time he went out with a woman, she was acting all shy and demure, while for Lucy, she was a cute mean girl and a very loud woman. Just the way he likes his woman. Even if they haven't known each other for so long, he won't disagree with the fact that he is enjoying her company and he'd love to be friends with her.

"Would you stop staring at me" Lucy sternly said as she raised her brow in annoyance before rolling her eyes away from him  
"Okay, fine…" Natsu then looked above the head of the blonde but he couldn't resist looking back at Lucy. And so, he sat up straight and caught the woman's attention, "So, what was your reason for us to meet up?"  
"Well," Lucy suddenly sat up straight too before she looked at the man, in a friendly way, "I just wanted to thank you…"  
"For the diversion, you have mentioned on the phone?" Natsu asked curiously and Lucy nodded in agreement, "Well, you don't have to thank me. I barely did anything to get the media's attention. It was all you"  
"Maybe…but I need you now" Lucy said making her and Natsu sit silently for a minute until Lucy realized what she said, making her beat red, "I-I mean…I-I need your help, from now on"  
Clearing his throat after the somehow awkward conversation, Natsu leaned forward with his arms in front, "And what help is that? Be your distraction for the media? I already did that. Isn't that enough?"  
Leaning as well, Lucy looked at Natsu straight in his onyx eyes, "I know, but rumor won't last if it's seen only once…I need a new guy to pretend to be my new boyfriend until my rumor with Loke is totally done."  
"Okay, then use my name…do whatever you wish, we don't necessarily need to be seen together" Natsu nonchalantly replied making Lucy puff in irritation  
"I don't need your name…I need your physical body close to me" Lucy answered back pissed but after grasping her words, she bit her lower lip to start correcting herself, "I mean…I need someone physically to act as my new boyfriend"  
Natsu was stunned at first with the choice of words of Lucy, but then he composed himself once again as he replies, "That's not my problem…" Natsu bored acted back and Lucy got irritated even more, "Uh! Since you _have_ been my diversion, I need you to go out with me" Lucy huffs in annoyance  
"I don't have a reason to do so…It's all for your own good" Natsu then stared at the blonde who sulks in her chair and leans away from him  
"That is why I'm offering you a deal…" Lucy almost hissed as she replies back. Lucy was mad at first until she slowly smirked mischievously at the man, making him curious, "You'll be my diversion, and I'll be _your_ diversion…just like what Lissana thought about"  
Natsu then shook his head in dismay "And like I said it's gibberish…so no" Natsu sternly denied as he leans back to his chair.

Before Lucy could make another comment, the food was finally served. The waiter places the sandwiches in front of her with her baked potatoes then the staff served Natsu with his four plates of pasta. Soon enough the waiter left the two with a suffocating silence  
"Look, I'm sorry if I made you wait for so long, but I'm not going to your weird schemes," Natsu said before he dug his fork into his food.  
Staring at Natsu for a moment, Lucy then leans forward making her food be pushed forward, "I don't care if you made me wait because I learned my fans are so happy to see me dating someone else. Now, you being here with me in the café is just another part of that _weird scheme_ you are saying"  
Sternly gazing back at the blonde actress, Natsu began to grit his teeth in irritation, "Why are you insisting this? What do you really want to happen?"  
"Simple, you, be my boyfriend…" Lucy challengingly looked at Natsu who don't seem to be fazed by the actress, "I just need to clear out my name. I want Loke to suffer the way I suffered because of that damn stupid rumor. That is why I'm insisting this" Lucy now seriously looked at the man, who somehow was loosening up  
"Why me?"  
"'Cause you are way better than Loke. And I don't think any guy could fill in your shoes…" Lucy seductively grins making Natsu somehow chuckle, which Lucy found adorable, "So, what do you say?"  
Despite the hesitation to agree to Lucy's plan, Natsu slowly nodded before looking down at his food and begin to eat again, "Fine, I'll be willing to help you. But that's all"  
"Oh, don't be a superhero Natsu, I'm willing to help you too, remember?" Lucy said before she began to pick at her food. Without looking at the man, Lucy knows that Natsu was somehow surprised with what she said despite mentioning it before  
"Thanks, but no thanks" Natsu finally said when he snapped out of his shock  
"And why is that?" Lucy curiously asked as she bites her sandwich  
Natsu looked up at Lucy who was looking at him with interest. He then sighed before he began to eat again, "Look, it's not that you don't look like a supermodel, because truly, you look hotter than those I dated" Lucy then blushed at Natsu's words but, of course, Lucy shrugged it off, "But the problem is, they are all notable women. They come from rich families, and somehow mom wants a rich daughter for me because she despises women who wanted nothing but our riches"  
"Oh, so you date noteworthy women…" Lucy suddenly grins devilishly before she leans forward to the table, "I guess I haven't introduced myself properly…"  
"What are you talking about?" Natsu stared at the woman. And soon Lucy extends her hand to him for him to shake, "Hi, I'm Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia, the only daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia"  
"Wait what?" Natsu was taken aback with Lucy's introduction, and Lucy was just playfully smiling back at him as she pulls back her hand since she realized she has truly surprised the man, "You're the mysterious heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern?"  
"Well, you can say that. But yeah, I am that heiress" Lucy suddenly smiled sweetly at the man before looking at him with hopeful eyes, "Now, will my background work? You see, no one knows that except for my friends and assistants. Media and the people know me by Lucy Ashley. So, hearing my real last name would be a great surprise"  
"So now you're telling me your real identity…" Natsu finds the situation a little bit fishy but with the confidence Lucy was showing and her radiating smile, he couldn't say no  
"Yes, to help you. Now, I'll be your diversion whether you like it or not"  
"Fine"  
"Good!" Lucy suddenly clapped making Natsu startled a bit. Soon, Lucy pulled out a clean piece of paper and a pen, "So, let's begin the contract deal"  
"Wait, contract deal? What is that for?!" Natsu obviously was stunned with Lucy's schemes, "You planned all these!"  
"Well duh…so, let me write our name…Lucy Heart-fil-ia…Nat-su Dra-gneel…" Lucy loudly said as she wrote their names, "Okay!" Lucy then looked up at the man who just curiously stared back, "Oh wait! I'll write the introduction…" Lucy then began to write down and Natsu just sighed tiredly before he began to eat his third plate of pasta.

Soon Lucy and Natsu began to construct the contract deal, wherein the two would bicker about something. Then the two would laugh as they find something ridiculous with what they said. Without knowing, the two finally finishes their food and their follow-up ordered drinks as they finished creating the contract.

"Okay, let me read it…" Lucy said as she pulls the paper away from the table and read it aloud, "A secret deal between Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel"  
Natsu and Lucy then shared a glance before Lucy looked down to the paper again, "This deal is constructed by Heartfilia and Dragneel on the 24th day of May, year X797. This deal is about Heartfilia and Dragneel becoming a couple in front of the media, society, family and friends. The deal is a closed door…" Lucy then looked up at Natsu who was attentively listening, "Are you sure with the _closed door?_ "  
"Yeah, continue…"  
"Uh, fine" Lucy rolled her eyes at the man before she looked down at the paper and find where she finished reading, "The deal is a closed door contract between the two, however, in this deal there are two accomplices to help Heartfilia and Dragneel make the plan effective. Lissana Strauss and Levy McGarden are the said accomplices of this deal. The rest of the people must know nothing about the deal to preserve the diversion the two individuals are involved. Along with this, a few rules and regulations must be observed"  
Lucy then looks up at Natsu who sighed deeply. Before Lucy could continue to read Natsu pulled it away from her grasp, "My turn" Natsu said before looking down at the paper.

"These rules are…"

 _1\. The two individuals involved are not allowed to disclose any hints about the secret deal to anyone, especially to their family and friends._

 _2\. The two are to act as a couple only in front of the media and family of Natsu._

 _3\. There shall be no touching, kissing or any intimate actions between the two unless appropriate. For the media and family front act only._

 _4\. One should always be available in time of need of front act._

"…I just realize these are all your rules…" Natsu suddenly deduced as he looks up at the blonde, "That's unfair, the contract said we made it both"  
"Fine, then add some of your rules" Lucy exasperatedly replied before she sarcastically smiled at the man  
"Okay, these are my rules…" Natsu began to scribble his rules and after a few minutes, he pulled the paper and read it aloud to the blonde

 _5\. No complaints unless appropriate  
6\. One must tell their schemes with regard to their deal beforehand_

"Wait" Lucy cuts off the man who quickly looked at her, "I need to add another rule…"  
"Okay, here" Natsu then handed the paper. After writing her last rule, Lucy handed the paper and made Natsu read the last rule  
"Seventh, one must not fall in love with the other person involved" Natsu seriously glanced at Lucy who had the same expression, "Of course…" Natsu said before finally reading the last paragraph

"Any rule that is violated is called for the termination of the deal, with no appealing. The contract is only good until the rumors are said to be over and Dragneel's family is resolved with his personal life"

And with that, Natsu signed the paper before handing it to Lucy, who signed after. After giving it a final glance, Lucy looked up at the man who looked like he was debating with himself. But after some time, he sighed exasperatedly and gazed at Lucy. When the two smiled at one another, the two simultaneously stood and shook hands.

"Well then, I expect you tomorrow as my date," Natsu said before he turned to grab his jacket at the back of his chair  
"Wait, what are you talking about…the rule said we are to act as a couple only for media and your family" Lucy reminded the man until Natsu looked back at her with a serious expression  
"I know, that is why I need you to come with me tomorrow" Natsu finally stood straight making him tower over the woman  
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked nervously as she focused on the man's eyes  
"The Dragon Empire Group have an Annual Charity ball every 25th day of May. And so, tomorrow there will be a charity ball and my parents are expecting me to bring a date. And you as my pretend _girlfriend_ , I expect you to come"  
"Woah wait! Rule um…" Lucy then frantically searched her bag and grabbed the paper once again to reread a rule, "Rule number 6! You wrote it yourself! One must tell their schemes beforehand!"  
"That is exactly why I'm telling it to you now, right?" Natsu frustratingly defended  
"Uh! Unfair!" Lucy exclaimed as she raised her arms in exaggeration  
"Rule number Five Luce…no complaints unless appropriate" Natsu snickered before turning his back and walked away. Lucy almost run after him when she saw him walked away, but before she could run, the man turned once more and said, "I'll pick you up tomorrow, 7 pm" and with that, he turned and pushed the door open to leave.

Soon, Lucy was left alone in the café with her stunned thoughts and soul. She suddenly felt numb and scared as she stared at the closed door of the café.

" _What have I gotten myself into?"_ Lucy thought to herself before she dropped back to her chair.

 **To be continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Oh my god! I can't do this!" Lucy shouted as she paced in her condo unit.

The moment Natsu walked away from her after telling her that she must attend a ball with him as his girlfriend, Lucy was left speechless. She knew what she was doing when she agreed to be Natsu's pretend girlfriend, but what she didn't expect is to come out in public so quick and introduce herself as a Heartfilia Heiress.

When she revealed her real last name to Natsu, she was confident to claim that name. But late did she realize that she wasn't ready yet to show up in the public and tell people that she was the only daughter of the Heartfilia family. She knew that there was nothing to be scared about because she was telling the she was scared because she didn't want to be found by her father yet.

"What have I done? I can't just show up there, then start claiming I'm a Heartfilia, even though I truly am one." Lucy then pulled on her hair as she frustratingly stared at the city. As she loosens her grasp on her hair, she stood up straight and recalled the day she left the mansion.

 ** _Flashback . . . Flashback . . . Flashback_**

 _"Papa, I can't believe you're putting me into this situation!" Lucy shouted to her father as she stood in front of her father who was seated behind his oak desk_

 _"Lucy, tone down your voice. That is not how a proper lady speaks" Jude said nonchalantly as he kept his attention on his paper works_

 _"Fuck those proper etiquettes!" Lucy cussed making her father snap at her_

 _"Lucy!" Jude shouted with a terrorizing voice making Lucy flinch a bit but she kept her face still mad,_

 _"What are you so mad about? It's just a meet up" Jude then sat down after standing up to inflict fear to his daughter_

 _"Papa, I get the point it's a meetup. But what I hate about it, is that you are secretly trying to arrange me to the guy!" Lucy defended as she looked at his father shaking his head_

 _"Lucy, just think of it as a helping hand. I'm trying to help you find a boyfriend" Jude then glanced at his daughter whose expression was full of irritation_

 _"A helping hand? Papa, don't make me stupid, I know he is the son of the businessman you are having a deal with. Papa, I am not a bait for your stupid schemes. So stop this!" Lucy exclaimed as she stomped her foot to emphasize her point but Jude just sighed_

 _"Fine, don't attend that meetup. But you have to take part in our business" Jude eyed the young replica of his late wife, "You choose, you date the guy and don't take responsibility in our company or you don't date the guy but be the project manager for our Magnolia branches"_

 _Lucy growls at her father before she madly replied, "Does everything have to be conditional? Can't I be free from your fucked up conditions?"_

 _"Lucy, you have to, at least, give an effort for our company. If you won't work for me then, at least, offer something for our business" Jude menacingly stared back at his daughter_

 _"And you think my freedom to choose who to marry is what I should offer?" Lucy then chuckled when her father nodded to her question, "You are losing your mind!" Lucy insulted before she turned her back to head out of her father's office_

 _"Where do you think you're going, young lady?! We're not done talking yet!" Jude said in a deep threatening voice but Lucy was no longer affected by it because of her fury. And so, Lucy twirled around with anger in her eyes, "Away from you and your stupid scheme! I am no puppet to be controlled by an insensitive and uncaring father! You know what, I'm doing what I want and you can't stop me!"_

 _"Fine! do whatever you want! As if your writing will get you anywhere! Even being an actress won't even help you because you're worthless!"_

 _" Worthless?! I'll prove you wrong! If there is anyone worthless here in this room, it's you! I'm leaving this stupid mansion!" Lucy then turned away from her father and grabs the handle until she heard her father say, "Oh please, suit yourself! And don't ever come back!"_

 _"I won't" Lucy whispered as she felt tears gather up in her eyes before she opened the door to leave and slammed it hard to close._

 ** _End of flashback . . . end of flashback . . . end of flashback_**

As Lucy recalled the day she walked out of her father's mansion, Lucy couldn't help but let a tear roll down on her right cheek. She was hurt when she heard her father's last words to her and she won't deny that she hopes it was really not their last parting words because it has been seven years since they talked, and that was when they fought.

Even if Lucy was mad at her father, she knew to herself that she still loved the father who has given her life. She knew that her father was not manipulative, insensitive, and uncaring. In fact, he was the opposite of all the words she has used. He just turned into one because she knew, her father was still not over the death of his only love, her mother.

As Lucy silently watched the city of Magnolia glow at night, she suddenly felt nostalgic because this was the usual position her father would do after dinner. When she used to sneak in, she would always see her father standing by the window as he gazing at the sky, thinking deep.

And so, she whispered to no one as she kept her gaze on the sky, "Papa, are you seeing what I am seeing? I believe we can both agree it is a silent and peaceful night"

When the erring silence went on, Lucy mumbled to herself as she looked down at the street and watched small people walk-in and out of the condo building. "I don't know if I can do what Natsu wants me to do…I can't pull this off by myself"

And at that instant, she suddenly remembered that she had confederates in this scheme. And so she walked to her coffee table in the living room and grabbed her phone. Quickly dialing the number of her friend, Lucy unconsciously bit her thumbnail after she puts her phone against her ear. As she headed back to her previous spot while listening to the ring of the phone, Lucy was delighted to greet the person she was calling.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy quickly exclaimed when she knew the call has been accepted, "I need someone to talk to!" she said

" _Well talk to someone else"_ The voice replied at the other end of the call, making Lucy pull back the phone away from her ear and stare at the caller ID displayed on her phone. As she scrutinizingly studied her phone and showed the name of Levy, that is when she realized who answered her call, she couldn't help but pop an angry vein in her head as she spoke again, "Gajeel? Is that you?"

" _Gihi..."_ the deep and rusty voice chuckled

"I need to talk to Levy-chan" Lucy firmly stated to the person on the other side of the line

" _No"_ Gajeel deadpan replied

"Uh! Gajeel! Give the phone to Levy! I need to talk to her!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed despite hearing the distinct laugh of the man

" _Gihi,"_ Gajeel laughed again after the blonde actress shouted, _"She's busy, find someone else"_

"Gaje-!" Lucy was starting to shout at the top of her lungs when she was cut off by a sweet voice

" _Lu-chan!"_ Levy chimes quickly as she snatched her phone from her boyfriend, knowing that her best friend was already fuming at the other end of the call when she saw Gajeel was answering a call from her phone, _"Sorry, I was in the bathroom"_

"Oh, Levy-chan your boy-" Lucy started but was interrupted once again when Levy shrieked out loud at the other end of the call, "Levy are you okay? What happened?" Lucy inquired after hearing her friend squeak

" _Oh uh, nothing…Gajeel just pulled on my towel. Anyways! What's up?"_ Levy quickly diverted the attention back to her best friend, knowing that Lucy would just tease her endless about it

"Hmm," Lucy just raised a brow knowing exactly what her best friend was doing but then she sighed before she continued, "Fine, I need to talk to you…can we meet up?"

" _No!"_ A voice shouted at the other end of the line making Levy giggle and Lucy smile, _"Yeah, of course, Lu-chan, where do you want to meet?"_

" _Oi, shrimp! I said you can't go!"_

" _Shut up Gajeel!"_

As Lucy listened to the bickering of her best friend with her boyfriend, Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself when she thought of how cute this couple is. Gajeel was a big guy who looked very scary with his red piercing eyes and long black mane while Levy was the cute small petite girl with blue soft hair.

" _Sorry about that Lu-chan, back to what we were talking about…where do you want to meet? At Fairy Tail or Blue Pegasus or-"_

"It's okay," Lucy cut short the bluenette as she shook her head with a smile plastered on her face, "Call me when you're free tonight. Okay?"

" _But Lu-chan…"_ Levy whined with worry in her voice

"It's fine, I just need someone to listen and give me a small advice. But as of the moment, I can be by myself and think" Lucy said as she slowly walked to her couch and sat down

" _Oh Lu-chan, I'll call immediately once Gajeel goes home,"_ Levy tells her blonde friend but it just made Lucy chuckle, making the bluenette wonder, _"What?"_

"Oh Levy-chan, as if Gajeel would go home…just call me as soon as you can tonight, okay?" Lucy replied as she stifles her giggles

" _Yes, yes, I promise"_

"Alright, bye" Lucy then hanged up the call and drops herself back to her couch, making her stare at the ceiling.

As Lucy looked up at her plain white ceiling, she began recalling her late event with Natsu and still the same as before, she was still unsure if she could do what the pinkette has told her to do.

As Lucy continued to stare at the ceiling, she suddenly sat upright and cleared her throat, "Um, hi, I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia, the only daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia, though she has died 10 years ago-Wait no, no, no" Lucy said as she shook her head is disagreement to herself, "hello, I'm a Heartfilia heiress… what?! I can't start my sentence like that" Lucy then clears her throat once more

"Good day, I am Lucy Heartfilia, but people call me Lucy Ashley…Ah! This is stupid!" Lucy then slumps back down to the couch when she suddenly felt frustrated that she couldn't think straight. Placing her forearm to her eyes as she felt like crying because she was being restless for something she shouldn't be worrying about. But then, she couldn't take the worry and frustration out of her system.

"I hate you Dragneel for dragging me into this…" Lucy mumbles to herself. When she was about to whine, her phone suddenly rang making her jump in her seat.

And so, quickly, she snatches up her phone and answered the call, "Hello?"

" _Lu-chan I'm back!"_ A familiar voice chimed

"Levy?" Lucy said her friend's name in pure shock, "That was quick…"

" _Well, I made Gajeel head to the grocery store to buy some ingredients for dinner. So, I have like, an hour to chat"_

"Well, that's more than enough for me…" Lucy then trails off making her best friend worried

" _Lu-chan? Is everything alright?"_ Levy asked in concern

"I wish…Levy-chan, what should I do?" Lucy asked as her voice was beginning to tremble, making Levy even more worried

" _Lu-chan, wait, we're not on the same page yet. Can you please tell me what exactly is happening?"_

"Levy-chan, do you remember the day you told me that I should have a diversion to get rid of my rumor?" Lucy asked her friend, and Levy hummed in agreement, making the blonde continued, "Well, I have a diversion. Lissana introduced Natsu Dragneel to me because she said he was also in need of someone to help him with his issues."

" _Natsu Dragneel? I know him, he's Gajeel's cousin"_ Levy informed making Lucy surprised

"Really? Then that means you're going to the charity ball tomorrow with Gajeel…" Lucy suddenly perked up, thinking that she might have a chance to get through with tomorrow since she will see her friend

" _Well…"_ Levy trailed, _"Gajeel's family are invited, but Gajeel doesn't like coming to family gatherings, so he said we'd just go out of town for tomorrow."_

"Oh…" Lucy was back to being down again

" _Lu-chan, is this, what you have been worrying about?"_ Levy asked Lucy as she somehow was catching up to what was troubling her best friend

"Yeah I guess…" Lucy said softly

" _Oh Lu-chan, don't worry. I've met Gajeel's uncle, and he is very nice and so as his wife"_ Levy said with a hint of happiness in her voice but it didn't make any difference for the blonde

"That would be great…" Lucy said with no evidence of gratefulness in her voice, which still worried the petite girl

" _Why do you still sound so sad Lu-chan?"_ Levy inquired

"Levy the truth is, I'm not much worried about meeting Natsu's parents. I'm an actress, I can act as the perfect girlfriend," Lucy said as sat up and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees while roughly dragging her hand to her face, "But what I'm worried about is, coming out in public using my real last name again."

" _Lu-chan, it's just a last name. And besides, what are the chances your father will be there?"_ Levy countered as if to prove to her best friend that she didn't need to worry

"I get your point, Levy. But, you know what happened to me and my dad. I don't want him to suddenly discover that I'm flaunting his last name just to keep up with the family of my supposed boyfriend" Lucy then sighed tiredly because the more she discussed about her issue, the more she is growing tired and frustrated, "Levy, I'm not sure if I'm ready to go out in public using my real last name. By now, people knows me as Lucy Ashley and I want to keep it that way"

" _Then go as Lucy Ashley, it's not like Natsu would care"_

"How I wish," Lucy then leaned back to the couch again, "But the reason why Natsu is looking for a supposed girlfriend is because he was looking for some noble woman he could show to his parents without being in a real relationship. I have to be the heiress I don't want to be if I want to help Natsu and for him to help me too"

With her statement, Levy was suddenly left speechless because after hearing Lucy, she knew, Lucy have no choice but to comply with the agreement if they wanted to continue using one another for their own benefit.

" _If that is your situation, I can see that you are left with no choice but to be a Heartfilia again. Unless you're willing to find someone else to act as your new boyfriend so that Natsu has nothing to hold on to you"_ Levy said in a stern voice as if to tell Lucy that her situation was either black or white

"I can't find a new guy better than Natsu, Levy-chan…" Lucy said sounding whining

" _Then you better start preparing yourself to become a Heartfilia again"_

Hearing the advice of her best friend, Lucy couldn't help but tremble because indeed, she was left with no choice. And so, she hummed to her friend before she said, "I guess your right…I just got to prepare myself mentally. This is really frustrating on my part"

" _Don't worry, Natsu will be there for you. He's a good guy"_

"Right…" Lucy said unconvinced, "He should be nice to me…I have more issues than he does"

Levy suddenly chuckles at her friend, which made Lucy somehow giggle too. But before the two could continue chatting, a sound of ringing was heard in the background of Levy. Hearing that sound, Levy knew it would be her boyfriend and so, the bluenette bid goodbye to Lucy which Lucy gratefully returned. And soon, Lucy was left to think alone again.

* * *

As the night got deeper, Lucy went to bed early because she didn't feel like staying up late. But even if she was in her bed, lying down, her brain and eyes weren't tired yet and sleepy. And so, she just stared at the roof.

As she did so, Lucy didn't expect to hear her phone vibrate against her nightstand. And so, she turned to her side and grabbed her phone. When she turned on her phone, she didn't expect the message would come from Natsu.

 _ **10:34pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Lucy?_

As Lucy read the short message, she was left staring at the message contemplating whether to reply or not. But she decided to ignore the man because she was trying to focus on preparing herself for tomorrow. So when Lucy was about to place the phone back to her nightstand, her phone vibrated again.

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Are you still awake?_

"What is with him?" Lucy audibly said to no one in particular as she stares at the new message. But to her surprise, her phone started vibrating again as new messages popped in

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Lucy? Are you reading this?_

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Lucy? If you're reading this, could you, at least, type any letter?_

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Oi Lucy…_

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Are you still awake?_

 _ **10:35pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Didn't I ask that already…Lucy_

 _ **10:36pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Lucy_

 _ **10:36pm  
From: Natsu Dragneel**_

 _Lucy_

After 7 simultaneous messages from Natsu, Lucy was left speechless and surprised. She was just staring at the messages and neither one message was answered. When Lucy just continued to stare, she was beginning to think if she should, at least, give a reply to his text messages. But before she could come up with a decision, her phone started ringing and Natsu was calling her.

Lucy unconsciously nibbled on her lower lip as she watched her phone ring. She didn't know what to do and so she just waited for it to end. And when it did, Lucy suddenly sighed in relief. When Lucy thought Natsu wouldn't be calling again, she was stunned when her phone started ring once more.

"What the…" Lucy trailed as she continuously stared at her phone with surprise

When the ring was becoming irritating to Lucy's ears, she quickly slides the screen and accepts the call to end the annoying sound, "What?!" Lucy shouted which she didn't expect she'd sound

" _Luce!"_ Natsu excitedly called, making it even more surprising for the blonde. But when Lucy realized what the man has called her, she started gawking at him

"Luce? What…wait, why do I have a nickname? And who told you to give me a nickname?!" Lucy ranted despite the sudden feeling of heat in her cheeks

" _I just made it myself…anyways-"_ Natsu replied with an obvious grin on his face but he was cut short quickly

"Don't call me Luce again!" Lucy shouted as she interrupts him

" _Fine whatever…anyways-"_ Natsu replied but he was interjected again when Lucy started talking

"Dragneel I'm serious. Promise me-"

" _Luce! relax okay…"_

"Uh! Natsu!" Lucy shouted again after hearing her suppose nickname

" _What?!"_ Natsu exasperatedly shouted after being cut short too many times by the blonde-haired woman

With that last reply, Lucy and Natsu were suddenly silent. The two was trying to read one another base from their breathing. But the silence was becoming unbearable for Lucy and so she started, "Um, stop calling me Luce…okay?"

" _Fine…Luigi"_ Natsu nonchalantly called Lucy with a wrong name

"Uh! Natsu are you trying to piss me off? Is that why you wanted to call me? Just to annoy me?!" Lucy suddenly sat up when her anger was becoming uncontrollable

" _No…"_

"Then why'd you call?!" Lucy frustratingly asked, making Natsu sigh

" _Well, I've been trying to tell you why I'm calling you, but you keep on interrupting me about me calling you Luce…"_ Natsu said with sarcasm in his voice, which made Lucy embarrassed because what Natsu said was true

"Well then… start talking before I drop this call…" Lucy epic-ly tried to threaten but she knew she was not convincing

" _Alright, I just want to remind you about tomorrow. I'll be sending you a gown-"_

"I'm not coming" Lucy nonchalantly said as she interrupts the man once again but this time, it left Natsu speechless

" _Wait…are you backing out?"_ Natsu curiously asked

"I-I…I don't feel like going to the ball" Lucy tried to say with an uninterested voice but her voice is so evident of nervousness

" _We had a deal, Lucy, that no one is allowed to back out"_ Natsu tried to reason

"I'm a woman…and-and I am permitted to-to change my mind" Lucy tried to say it firmly but her stuttering was giving her away so she quickly pulls away the phone from her ear and ends it.

When her phone showed her screen background, she held her breath for a moment, as if she was anticipating for Natsu to call again. But when a minute passed by, she exhaled freely. Despite feeling relieved, she couldn't help but feel guilty for what she did. She didn't know what went to her head and made her do it. All that she realized was, what she did was all impulse.

* * *

When the sun came up, Lucy barely had any sleep after thinking about what she has done to the man. She was still guilty about what she did and she didn't know how she will explain to Natsu that it was just a blabber of her mouth.

Quickly standing up from her bed, she paced in her room while nibbling on her nails as she would subconsciously glance at her sleeping phone. As she kept on walking in her room, she didn't know what to think. She felt like, she wanted Natsu to call back but at the same time, she didn't want him to call back. With those confusing choices, she didn't know what she wanted because the truth is, she wanted both options and it was nonsense.

"Arg!" Lucy growled as she raised her arms up in exasperation and stomped her foot, she heavily walked to her nightstand and grabbed her phone. Madly pressing the messages of Natsu, Lucy was suddenly struck as she didn't know what to say at all. But all her thinking was disrupted when Levy began calling her.

"Levy-chan?" Lucy answered

" _Hey Lu-chan, so? Is the actress ready for tonight?"_ Levy asked with a hint of expectation for her friend

"Levy-chan I don't know…I think I screwed up" Lucy said nervously before she started pacing again in her room

" _Huh? What do you mean? What exactly happened? Maybe we can fix this…"_ Levy was then alarmed with the voice of the blonde indicating that her friend is close to breaking down

"He texted me, and then he called me, then I said I'm not going, he asked me why, and all I said was I was a woman, I was entitled to change my mind…I screwed up right?" Lucy unexpectedly halted from her pacing as she waited for Levy's comment

" _Well…"_ Levy started as she tried to think of what to say, " _sort of-I mean, let's just say you were nervous so…call him?"_ Levy then trailed as she was running out of what to say to help her best friend

"No!" Lucy said with wide eyes, "I don't know what to say. I-I…" Lucy was suddenly speechless as she felt like her plan has turned out to be a backfire to her

" _You know what…just surprise him. Just attend. Prove his mind that he was just imagining things. You will go as Lucy Heartfilia, the only daughter of Layla Heartfilia and Jude Heartfilia"_ Levy didn't expect to sound so confident to her friend but she was more than grateful to help her friend when she heard Lucy agree with a more firm voice

"You're right…He may think I'm weak after last night, but I don't care. I'm more than ready to be a Heartfilia heiress again" Lucy suddenly smirked to herself in determination and what boosted her more is the words of her best friend

" _Good luck with your show tonight"_

"I got this…"

* * *

As the night falls, the Dragneel manor was beginning to be fully awake. With its bright lights, dazzling decoration and lovely music, the Dragneel's Annual charity ball has begun to commence.

Natsu walking down the stairs to head towards the main floor of the hall, the young businessman was strikingly handsome with his all-black tailored suit. Women would give a second glance at the man as he would walk by them. However, despite the attention he was getting, he didn't mind it at all because he was just not in the mood to have fun after what happened to him the last night.

"Well, there is my handsome son" Grandine complimented as she opens her arms to her son for a hug. When the man was close enough, the older blue-haired woman embraces her son then pulled to grasp Natsu's face, "Well it would be more perfect if he has his famous smile" Grandine then smiled to influence her son but Natsu just gave a twitch to his lips

"I'm sorry mom, I'm just really not in the mood," Natsu said gloomily as he stayed within reach to his mother

"Why aren't you in the mood? Did something happen?" Grandine asked in pure concern for her son. But Natsu just shrugs it off as he steps back from his mother

"Don't mind me, mom. With just a few drinks, I'll be good" Natsu said but Grandine raised her eyebrow and eyed her son sternly, "And getting drunk is your solution? Youngman, listen to me"

Natsu suddenly felt a shiver run up to his spine as he heard his mother's stern voice. And so, he paid full attention to his mother, "You are not to get drunk this time. You are now the president of our company and you are expected to show formalities to our beneficiaries. So, what is your solution to your depressing aura?"

With his mother's death glare, Natsu unconsciously swallows as he tries to answer, "I will go meet our beneficiaries…" Natsu sacredly smiled at his mother as he tries to convince her to relax

"Good" Grandine then returned the gesture by giving a soft smile but behind those smile, Natsu knew what it really meant

As Natsu and Grandine stared off, the double doors of the hall were suddenly loudly opened. With the sudden sound of the doors opening, the attention of the people was suddenly given to the newcomer of the party. And so, eyes were all glued upstairs as they glanced at the new arrival. And this has been the same for the Dragneels.

After a few seconds from opening the doors, a beautiful woman suddenly walks by and stays in the middle of the stairs to stare at the people around. She had a golden blonde hair, all brushed back till her long hair falls freely at her back. She wore a white sweetheart chiffon gown with gold beads at the edges of her gown.

As Natsu studied the woman who just arrived, he couldn't help but smile widely and be awestruck by the beauty the woman had. In Natsu's mind, he thought he saw an angel, with her porcelain skin, soft hair swaying, perfect body curve, and her angelic face.

"Lucy…" Natsu softly mumbles with fascination in his voice as he watched the woman descend from the stairs. Without realizing that he was still next to his mother, he was quite surprised to hear his mother's comment, "She's a beautiful lady…perhaps do you know this woman?"

"Yes," Natsu said confidently before he started to walk towards the blonde woman who was now standing at the end of the stairs.

When Lucy finally found the man she has been looking for, she couldn't help but let a smile appear on her face. She didn't know why she was feeling excited to stand before the man she has been thinking about the whole day.

"Hi" Lucy sweetly greeted when she knew Natsu will be able to hear her

"Hi" Natsu repeated, still with enthrallment in his voice, "You look beautiful"

With his sudden compliment, Lucy couldn't help but feel her cheeks to flare up. It was the least she expected to hear from him after what she did last night.

"I'm sorry about last night. I was…I was just scared" Lucy shyly admitted as she looked down at her fidgeting hands but her eyes grew wide when Natsu suddenly took her hand and entwined it with his.

With the sudden contact, Lucy abruptly looked up and gazed at the man with a question on her face, "Don't be…" Natsu started when he recognize the surprise on Lucy's face, "if there is anyone scared, it would be me. I thought you'd never come" Natsu then grinned at the woman, making the blonde even more flustered knowing he was smiling genuinely for her, "You made this night even better"  
Shyly looking away, Lucy tried to stop her heart from somersaulting but she couldn't help but look back again at the man, "I-I came because it's part of our deal…remember?"

Natsu was somehow taken aback with her words. After hearing the word 'deal', he quickly reminded himself that this has nothing to do with him and just like she said, it's all just because of a deal.

"Of course." And with that Natsu began to turn and start tugging the hand of Lucy as they walked towards the watching blue-haired woman.

When Natsu and Lucy were standing before Grandine, the middle-aged woman studied the newcomer and somehow it brought a shiver to the blonde.

"Mom, let me introduce you," Lucy was slightly pulled closer when Natsu started wrapping his arm around her waist, "Lucy, my girlfriend"

Hearing her son introduce the woman as his girlfriend, Grandine was left surprised and speechless. But her surprise was even more accelerated when Lucy began introducing herself, "Hello," Lucy then pulls out her hand to offer a handshake with the bluenette woman, "I'm Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia"

 **To be continued…**

* * *

 **Hey MINA!**

 **What's up? Sorry for the late update for this one...I was having a hard time thinking of how I will make this chapter. And base from my rereads, I'm not much thrilled about this, how about you guys?...GOMEN!  
But at least, I was able to show some history about Lucy and her father...**

 **Don't worry, I have plans already for the next chapter and it has a lot of intimacy...I think?**

 **Well, tell me what you think about this chapter and leave a review! I'd love to hear from you guys.**

 **Well, that's all...**

 **Follow and favorite, if you haven't yet!**

 **ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!**

 **Love,  
FairyTailxNaLu**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Mom, let me introduce you," Natsu said as he and Lucy stopped in front of his mother, wrapping his arms around the small waist of the blonde actress and pulled her closer, "Lucy, my girlfriend"

As Grandine almost widens her eyes in surprise because of meeting her son's girlfriend, the blue-haired woman expertly hides her astonishment by smiling genuinely to the couple, "Hello," Lucy said as she pulls out her hand to offer a handshake with the bluenette woman, "I'm Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia"

When the young lady said her full name, Grandine was no longer able to hide her shock for she softly gasped, making Natsu and Lucy confused somehow. Lucy knew that her family name was known but she couldn't understand why Natsu's mother was so flabbergasted about hearing her name.

"Oh my, are you Jude and Layla's daughter?" Grandine excitedly asks as she slowly opens her arms for a hug from the blonde woman. Still confused as to what was happening, Lucy just went with the flow and hugged the woman. And so, when Lucy hugged Grandine, the mother just tightens her embrace and stared surprised at her son, who was just smiling childishly.

When they pulled apart, Lucy shyly smiled back at the mother, "Uh, yes"

"Oh my, your parents are good in hiding you from the lens of media, the way we did with our children," Grandine said as she looked at the blonde from head to toe then back to her eyes, "You look exactly like your mother"

"I have been told" Lucy then smiles genuinely, now realizing that the woman in front of her somehow knows her mother.

Before Grandine or any of the three could make a statement, a new person suddenly arrives and joins the small conversation, "And who might this beautiful young lady standing next to my idiotic son?" A tall red-haired man suddenly asked as he wraps his arms to the smiling Grandine, "Iggy," Grandine called out as she looked up to the man

"Yes?" the man replied, looking down at her

"She's Natsu's girlfriend" Grandine revealed in all smiles, showing her true excitement. And this news was a surprise to the red-haired man as well, "Really?!" the man exclaimed to his wife before looking at his son, "Since when did you have a girlfriend?"

Hearing his father, Natsu couldn't help but gulp in nervousness but his nervousness decreased when Lucy suddenly wraps her arms around his waist and answered for him, "We've been together not for long. In fact, just recently"

With that news, Grandine and Igneel couldn't help but raise a brow. And so the married couple looked at one another before looking back to the couple.

"Recently?" Grandine repeated as she eyed the blonde woman from head to toe again but, this time, more suspiciously, which has brought a cold shiver to the blonde, "I don't remember my son going on dates. For he kept on declining my blind dates offer"

"Well," Natsu started as he tightens his grasp to Lucy when he begin his lie, "the reason I kept on saying no to those blind dates was because I was secretly seeing Lucy"

"And why would you keep it a secret?" Igneel, this time, asks as he skeptically studied his son

"Because I'm an actress!" Lucy suddenly declared, making the attention be on her, even Natsu, "You know, as an actress who have a love team…relationships can't be really revealed to avoid bashing from fans and stuff"

"Bashing? Who my son?" Grandine questioned unbelievably, "Don't they know that my son is the new president of our company"

"Uh-" Lucy started but was quickly interjected by Natsu

"That is exactly why Lucy and I didn't want people to know…because she didn't want to affect the company and her career" Natsu then looks down at Lucy who was visibly thankful for answering for her

"Is that so?" Grandine voiced out her doubt as she looked at the couple before them. When Grandine felt the tightening of Igneel's hold to her waist, she slowly turned to him and eyed him as if to tell that they should talk away from the couple.

Realizing what the married couple's doing, Natsu quickly thought of a way to get away from his family. And so, he asked Lucy, "Why don't we get some food to eat?"

"I, uh, I'd love to…excuse us" Lucy softly mumbles as she picks up her dress and made their way across the room.

When Natsu and Lucy were no longer earshot, Grandine and Igneel stepped apart and sighed in exasperation. After a few exhale, Grandine quickly looks at her husband with pure worry in her voice, "Iggy, I have a bad feeling about this"

"Oh Dine, just relax. Maybe this time, it's true" Igneel said before he began rubbing the bare arm of his wife

"True? Iggy, the last time Natsu introduced a girlfriend to us, that woman tried to exploit Natsu's inheritance without him knowing!" Grandine furiously reminded the man who puffs in defeat

"Yes, I remember that. But Dine, look at this woman," Igneel stretched his arm to point out the blonde without being obvious, and as Grandine looked at Lucy, she sharply inhaled, "She is showing so much class. I bet she came from a rich family."

"She sure is," Grandine said as if she was dismayed

"What do you mean?" Igneel then looked at his wife

"She's a Heartfilia," Grandine said first before looking at the eyes of the man, "Jude and Layla's"

"Who would have thought, that the daughter of the man who offered a marriage proposal seven years ago to us, is actually seeing our son" Igneel stated as if amazed of how things were working out for them

"Don't you find it fishy?" Grandine then asked making Igneel stare at her. But instead of answering, Igneel just leans down and captures the woman's lips for quite a long time. When they pulled apart, Igneel rested his forehead to his wife and softly mumbled, "Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on them"

Before Grandine could reply, a clearing of voice was heard behind them, so the couple pulled apart and looked at the person, and there they found, their youngest child, Wendy, with her red face.

"Sorry mom, dad…I didn't mean to interrupt" Wendy shyly said as she looked at her parents but Igneel just laughed out loud making some guests look at their way

"Oh, it's fine sweetheart. You just postponed us from making you another brother or sister" Igneel said as he grinned widely while making Wendy blush furiously

"Igneel!" Grandine reprimanded as she blushed madly with what her husband just said. But instead of stopping from laughing, Igneel just laughed harder.

* * *

As Natsu and Lucy slowly walked at the buffet area getting their food, Lucy would glance at Natsu once in a while before looking back at the food. When Natsu noticed this, he began to talk while continuing to stuff his plate with numerous beef.

"Is there something on my face that you keep looking at me?" Natsu asked as he poured gravy over his meat

"Huh?" Lucy then fully turned and stared at the man who is still grabbing some food, "I'm not looking at you" Lucy defended

"Yes you are," Natsu then grinned to Lucy before he struck his fork to a meat and stuffed it into his mouth

"Am not!" Lucy then puffs her cheek as she blushes in front of the man. But Natsu just smiled at her as he pokes her puffed cheek, "Alright, if you say so" he said before chuckling and walk past the blonde.

When Natsu walked away from her, Lucy just gawked at the man before carrying her gown and followed next to him. Soon enough, Lucy arrived at the table of the Dragneel and took her seat next to Natsu to start their dinner.

As soon as she did, a little blue-haired girl beamed her with a smile and greeted, "Hi! I'm Wendy"

"Hello, I'm Lucy" Lucy smiled back at the girl who giggled in happiness

"You look lovely tonight Lucy-nee. Did you pick that gown?" Wendy innocently asked before she grabbed her drink

"Oh, uh-"

"Wendy" Natsu quickly interrupts and calls his sister who just smiled and giggled "Sorry about that" Natsu whispered to Lucy as he leans closer to her who just shook her head and said, "Its fine, your sister is just being friendly"

"I know, but-" Natsu tried to counter back but was stopped immediately when Lucy placed her hand on his arm, "It's fine"

"So Natsu," A black haired man suddenly appeared and sits down next to Natsu, who was taken off guard, "Do you mind of introducing the lady next to you?"

Natsu then glanced at Lucy who was just clueless as to who the man next to her supposed boyfriend was. But Natsu looked away and gazed at the man, "Zeref, this Lucy, my girlfriend" the man named Zeref suddenly widens his eyes, which goes for Wendy as well, "Lucy," Natsu then looked at the blonde actress, "This is Zeref, my older brother and Wendy, my youngest sister"

"Hello," Lucy shyly nodded to the two Dragneel siblings, who both nodded back to her

"I knew you're not just any friend of Natsu-nii" Wendy commented as she smiled at the blonde actress but then she saw her brother widen his eyes to her as if to tell her to stop embarrassing them. And so, Wendy stifled her laughter as she continued to eat

"It's nice meeting you, Lucy. I know Natsu could be-" Zeref started but was cut short quickly

"Brother," Natsu called out and widens his eyes to him, "Your food is getting cold"

"So as yours," Zeref remarked before smiling softly to his brother whom he knew was embarrassed. And with that, they all continued to eat.

As they continued to eat, Grandine and Igneel suddenly walked up to them, hand in hand, "Having a great dinner?" Grandine inquired to her children as she smoothes out the straight hair of her daughter

"Yes, mom, great choice of food!" Natsu remarked before shoving a meat to his mouth. As few gravies slipped out of his mouth, Grandine gestured to her son about it. And when Natsu was about to wipe his mouth with his sleeves, Lucy quickly stops it and wipes his mouth with a table napkin.

Staring at Lucy's gesture, the Dragneels couldn't help but feel happy for Natsu, knowing that the woman next to him could be his ideal wife. But then again, when Grandine thought of that, she remembered her doubt.

"Oi Natsu!" Igneel called to his son, who looked up to him after thanking Lucy, "You got a keeper there!"

"Dad!" Natsu scolded his father but just laughs at them

"Natsu dear, can you accompany me to the drinks area. I'll get your father some of his drink while you get Lucy some juice" Grandine then opened her arms to the man, who nodded in agreement.

When Natsu and Grandine were standing by the installed bar, Grandine kept her silence when Natsu ordered their drinks. After that, and when the bartender was far enough, Grandine quickly looked at her smiling son.

"Tell me Natsu, how exactly did you meet Lucy?"

"Meet Lucy?" Natsu repeated to hide his nervousness with the sudden question of his mother

"Yes, I didn't know you had many friends who are in the show business" Grandine then raised her brow when she has convinced herself even more that something was odd

"Well, I don't. It's just Lissana and her boyfriend" Natsu then smiles widely with his sharp teethes showing, "Lucy is a mutual friend of Lissana, and she introduced her to me. And from that day that we met, we kept in touch. Until one day I asked her out and she said yes"

"Just like that?" Grandine curiously inquired

"Y-yes…why mom?" Natsu asks back as if to show he was not worrying too much

"Nothing…" Grandine then shook her head as she looks away from her son. Just in time, the bartender returned and handed the drinks. And so Grandine handed the juice to her son and asked him to give it to Lucy and that she will come after.

When Natsu was walking away with the drink, Grandine quickly took the Jack Daniel's on the rocks for her husband and took a swig to the drink. Without knowing, she finished the drink and her husband was already walking in front of her.

"I believe that is supposed to be mine," Igneel said when he stood before his wife and gently took the glass away from her, "Why don't you ask for something that suits your taste"

"Iggy," Grandine said looking desperate

"Yes, Dine?"

"I think your son is playing the game again" Grandine's face then turns serious, which somehow moved the red-haired man, "What do you mean Dine?"

"Igneel, your son is playing with the fire, and I'm not letting him fool around again" Grandine sharply gazed

"Dine,"

"No, Igneel. Not this time again. We have to make sure that this is not a fraud" Grandine then nodded in determination, which the red-haired man liked. And so he quickly smirks and leans down to steal a kiss from his wife but too bad, the hand of the blue-haired woman greeted his lips, "Not for the second time Iggy…when we get home, you'll get your price"

"Yosh! Let's go home!" Igneel then pumps up his fist, which made Grandine laugh but she just shook her head and left the man.

* * *

When Grandine and Igneel returned to their tables, the married couple has been staring at the newly couple, making them uncomfortable in their seats.

"So mom," Natsu suddenly interjected to stop the suspicious looks, "how was the talk with the governor's wife?"

"Oh she's fine, after meeting her son's fiancée she was relieved to know she was not a _fraud_ ," Grandine said, emphasizing the last word and it made Natsu and Lucy more uncomfortable.

Knowing his mother, Natsu knows that his mother has become suspicious of them both. And to avoid and lessen the doubt, Natsu quickly looks at Lucy and extends a hand to her.

"Um, what is that?" Lucy asked innocently as she stares at the open hand

"A hand," Natsu joked and watched Lucy's face frown

"I know it's a hand," Lucy reminded him annoyed

"A hand that asks you for a dance" and with that Natsu stood up and Lucy's gaze followed his. With a short doubt, Lucy quickly shook it away and placed her hand gently on his. Soon enough, Natsu held on it and pulled her up, then the two walked in the middle of the room, leaving everyone in the table with a confused look.

When Natsu and Lucy walked in the middle of the ballroom floor hand in hand, some guests would glance at them, murmuring about them looking dashing and beautiful. Soon enough, the couple was at their desired spot and Natsu quickly pulls Lucy to turn and make her face him. And just in time when they faced one another, the orchestra began a slow song.

Natsu did the proper holding of a lady during a dance, he placed his hand around the waist of the woman and gently held Lucy's hand as they began to sway to the song. Lucy, of course, was not new to these things but she was surprised to know that Natsu knew stuff like this. And this amazed her, making her want to know him more.

"So," Lucy started as she looked up at his face, "Why suddenly ask me for a dance?"

"Mom was being suspicious," Natsu said nonchalantly without looking at his dance partner

"Suspicious? About what?" Lucy inquired and this time, Natsu looks down at her

"About us…I told you, my mom is very particular about fraud things like this" Natsu then leans his head to hers and let his breath tickle her neck, "She is actually watching us right now"

"Wh-what?!" Lucy exclaimed louder than expected because of the sudden sensation she was feeling in her neck and at the same time the thought that someone was watching them. But what made the sensation even more intense was when a fluttery and soft lip touched her neck, making her slight gasp

"Don't make it obvious that you're aware of her stares," Natsu said against her neck before pulling away to look straight into her eyes, "Just keep your act"

"I-I know…but w-why did you have to…kiss my neck?" Lucy questioned despite the forming blush in her cheeks

"It was a for-show for mom," Natsu said bluntly and this made Lucy stop suddenly but quickly went on to their dancing, "If you're thinking that I forget about our rules, well no…Rule number three, no intimate act unless appropriate for family front act"

With his reason, Lucy didn't understand why she felt bad that the kiss to her neck meant nothing to him. But then she mentally shook herself and reminded her that it was just in the contract. And so she said, "Good…I thought you were taking advantage of me"

"Of course not" Natsu then grins widely to her, which made her heart swell in sudden happiness and soon she was spun by Natsu, making her dress twirl around her.

After that turn, Natsu quickly pulls Lucy and wraps his arm around her waist but, this time, lower and closer to him. When Lucy was slightly pressed to Natsu's chest, the man just smiled at her.

"So tell me," Natsu began as he stared straight into her eyes and halted for a second on their spot, "how did you live as an heiress?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Lucy quickly countered as they began to sway again

"Nothing?" Natsu then smirks at the woman who rolled her eyes in reaction

"Let's not talk about me…" Lucy returns the mischievous smile, "Let's talk about you and your family"

"Okay, what do you want to know?" Natsu answered

"Hmm…you're cousins with Gajeel right?" Lucy asked making Natsu nod in response, "why doesn't he like coming to these events?"

"Are you Levy now?" Natsu teased as he watched Lucy roll her eyes and smiled, "Gajeel hates being bombarded by questions of when was he going to settle down with Levy because they have been together for quite a long time"

"Ah, so he doesn't want to pressure himself about that marriage stuff" Lucy then smirked thinking that she knew enough the long-haired man

"No," Natsu then stopped and slowly dipped Lucy and leaned forward, "He doesn't want to pressure Levy"

Soon, Natsu pulled themselves up and made Lucy closer to him, and leaned his head close to her neck once more, "So what's your next question?"

Lucy slightly pushed Natsu away and initiated the dance again, "Why does your mother seem so guarded about you have a girlfriend? Is there something you did?"

And with that, Natsu stopped in their dancing despite the continuous music. Lucy now realizing that they wouldn't be dancing again, she cleared her throat as if embarrassed and looked away.

"I think we had enough dancing" Natsu claimed but before Lucy could agree, the emcee of the event began to speak, "Good evening everyone, I'd like to welcome everybody once again to the 5th Annual Charity ball of the Dragon Empire Groups" The emcee started, "So tonight, let us all welcome the Dragneel family, lead by Mr. and Mrs. Igneel Dragneel"

"I think we should go," Natsu said as he slowly tried to find the hand of the blonde while keeping their gaze at the married couple who were starting to dance in the middle of the room

"Now let us welcome as well, their children, Mr. Zeref and Ms. Wendy Dragneel" the emcee announced

"Right of course," Lucy said to Natsu as she has finally realized what was happening. And just when the two was about to turn their backs, the emcee began again, "And lastly, the new president of Dragon Empire Groups, Mr. Natsu Dragneel and his lovely partner, Ms. Lucy Heartfilia"

Hearing the name of the blonde, a few guests gasp and whispered about having no idea that a Heartfilia and a Dragneel is in a relationship. And so, left with no choice, Natsu and Lucy had to return to the dance floor and sway along with the new music being played.

When Natsu and Lucy stood in the middle of the room, people came after and danced along with the family. But the more pairs that dance, the supposed couple was becoming more uncomfortable with their murmurs and stares. So, unconsciously Natsu pulled Lucy closer to him even more, to the point, Lucy's chest was being pushed upward against Natsu's chest.

"Um..." Lucy trailed, "We-we weren't dancing this close Natsu," Lucy said shyly knowing that her chest was halfway being exposed to him

"I know, but this how I really dance with a partner," Natsu said before he lowers down his hand to Lucy's small back and pushed her closer to him until he slowly dips the blonde again. When he pulled her up, their face was so close that their breaths were mixing together.

"What...are you... exactly doing?" Lucy asked breathlessly as she looked at him in the eyes

Gazing back at the blonde, Natsu answered, "People are looking at us and they know me for dancing intimately with my partners"

"Really?" Lucy annoyedly answers, "For the past five years you dance like this with your partner in front of others?" Lucy asked with a stinging intonation of voice

"We even make out at the end" Natsu then smirks before turning Lucy around and stops her so he can pull her back against his chest. Without warning, Natsu leaned to Lucy's ear and seductively whispered, "In the middle of the dance floor"

And with that, Lucy pushed herself off of the president and looked at him with a surprise for the sudden change of personality of the man she met two days ago. She was almost glaring at the man when she realized they were the ones left dancing while others were intently watching them. And so, Lucy composed herself and outstretches her hand to Natsu which the pinkette took.

Soon enough, Lucy pulled Natsu out of the hall and headed to the wide balcony of the manor. When the two were far enough and unheard from the crowd, Natsu lets out a boisterous laughter while Lucy irritatedly groans at him.

"What the heck was that about?!" Lucy exclaimed before slumping herself to the stone bench within the balcony and stares madly at the man who was still laughing. When Natsu's laughter dies down, Natsu sat next to her and looked at her.

"It was just fun to tease you," Natsu said with his huge grin, "I really don't do that..."

"What? Dance so close to your partner to the point their boobs are pushed against yours?" Lucy questioned irritated

"No," Natsu then shook his head, "the making-out thing...I don't do that"

"Good!" Lucy then sighed in relief before she chuckles as she recalls how they danced, "Do you really dance that close to a woman? I can actually say I feel violated for pressing my boobs to you" Lucy then glances at Natsu who looked at her too

"Yes I do," Natsu said straight to her before looking up at the night sky, "the only difference is that the other women I danced with don't have big boobs as yours"

"Hey!" Lucy expressed, "what's that suppose to mean?!"

"Nothing," Natsu said as he turned his head to look at her again before grinning

"I guess, you dated flat chested super models" Lucy suddenly bends down and pulls her dress up until her shoes appeared. As Natsu watched the blonde, he saw her unbuckles the lock of her shoes and slowly took them off.

When the shoes were off Lucy's feet, the blonde took it and sets it next to her and let her feet be covered again by her dress. Sighing in content, Lucy looked at Natsu who was stifling a laughter, "What?" Lucy asked confused

"Nothing," Natsu said, still trying not to laugh

"Shut up and spill it" Lucy began to glare at the man who raised his hands up in surrender

"It's just..." Natsu looked at Lucy then to her hidden feet, "I've never met a woman so comfortable letting her feet rest in rough cement flooring"

"It's just a floor, what's so bad about that?" Lucy asked confused

"I've met girls who keep on complaining about how their feet hurts but refuses to let their feet touch the floor cause _it's dirty~_ " Natsu said the last two words girly, making Lucy giggle in his poor impersonation. Natsu then looks at Lucy who was laughing in happiness, "I like girls that are not picky...like you"

With his words, Lucy's laughter slowly fades as she looks at him in sudden astonishment, "Y-you like me?"

"Yeah sure...you're like Erza, Levy and sometimes like Juvia and Lissana," Natsu said in a matter of fact tone before he leaned on his stretched arms behind and gazes at the night sky, "They are not very picky but girly enough to know they are not boys...well not Erza really. I sometimes wonder if she is a boy"

Lucy's face then turned calm, when she realized what he meant. And so, Lucy copied the position of Natsu and stares at the bright night sky, "You know, I don't really know those girls you mentioned except for Levy and Lissana"

"Then I'll introduce them to you" Natsu then glanced at the woman next to him, only to be stunned with how angelic Lucy looked with the soft moonlight glistening on her face.

"Do you see that?" Lucy suddenly pointed out without looking at Natsu. Following her hand, Natsu tried to decipher what she was pointing at until he sees a pattern, he then grins and said, "Yeah? What about it?"

"That's the constellation of Aquarius and it's my favorite" Lucy then smiled to herself

At that point, Natsu knew, it was the first real fact he discovered about Lucy Heartfilia. And that is, she loves constellation, and her favorite was Aquarius. Silently, he sighed and smiled, "Nice choice"

"Thanks..." Lucy finally mumbles before they kept the night quiet, just gazing at the diamond sky.

 **To be continued...**

* * *

 **Hey mina!**

 **-** It's been a month since I updated ALL of my stories and so I would like to say...

 **\- GOMEN NASAI MINA _**

 **-** I think I have mentioned this before that I have been busy trying to finish all the plottings for my stories and **GOOD NEWS!** I have finished plotting _th_ _is_ story so you don't have to worry about the , if you have _thoughts for this story_ , you are **MOST WELCOME** to share your ideas. I am totally excited for this story...you know why?! you know why?!

 **-** I am totally excited for this story...you know why?! you know why?! it's because...Ah I can't wait to update...

 **-** Bad news, though...I haven't finished all of the stories' plots. And so, I'm trying to do so, while still trying to update. PRAY for me guys to finish those plotting so that I could focus now on updating...

 **\- -** But anyways, **ARIGATOU** my dear lovely readers for giving it time to read this story and my other ones. Leave a REVIEW, and FOLLOW  & FAVORITE this story and my other ones.

That's all!

Love,  
FairyTailxNaLu ":


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As the guests continue to dance, drink, and converse with other people, Natsu and Lucy decided to call it a night already. And so, Natsu along with Lucy walked up to the Dragneels and said their goodbyes.

"Dad," Natsu called as he hand-in-hand walked with Lucy towards the red-haired man

"Ah, Natsu" Igneel then grinned to his son who seemed to be happy

"Lucy has to leave already because she still has an early shooting" Natsu then looked at the blonde who was somehow embarrassed

"Shooting?" Igneel repeated in confusion

"Yeah, she's an actress, remember?" Natsu said as he reminded his father who quickly remembers about the first introduction of the blonde

"Well then take her home safely son" Grandine suddenly intruded as she leans forward to give a cheek kiss to the blonde who was somehow surprised to the gesture, "Take care, Lucy. We'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yes, of course," Lucy said before smiling sweetly towards the blue-haired woman

And just when Natsu and Lucy were about to turn and leave, a sweet voice called out and ran towards them, "Oh, Wendy, what's the matter?" Natsu asked

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask if there will be a chance I could watch in your set?" Wendy innocently asked as she widens her eyes to the blonde

"Well, I'll check. If it's allowed I'll tell your brother to come with you by the set" and with that Lucy genuinely smiles at the young teenager who surprisingly hugs her all of a sudden, "Oh thank you Lucy-nee! I'm so looking forward to it!"

"Alright kiddo, we have to go," Natsu said as he taps the head of the bluenette. When Wendy pulled away, Natsu quickly pulls Lucy towards the door and left the grand ballroom hall.

Soon enough, Natsu began to pull Lucy towards the back part of the house, which Lucy found suspicious.

"I thought we're going home?" Lucy asked as she let herself be dragged by the pinkette

"Yeah, we are," Natsu said without looking back at her

"Well from what I remember the front door is on the other side..." Lucy then pulls her hand away from Natsu who quickly stopped when he lost his grip to Lucy's wrist

"I know," Natsu said as he faced the blonde

"Then why are we heading this way?" Lucy asked as she slightly stepped back

Chuckling at the sudden scared blonde, Natsu couldn't help but find it funny. And so, just to play with the blonde, he tries to scare her even more.

"Because," Natsu then took a big step forward as Lucy stepped backward, "I think we should just have our alone time in a dark place"

"H-hey Natsu!" Lucy shakingly pointed at the pinkette as she stepped back again, "W-what are y-you talking about?"

"Oh, you know...the kissing, making out, touching of skin..." Natsu teased as he advances in his step while Lucy scaredly steps away

"Nani?!" Lucy surprised shouted as she widens her eyes to the man, "What are you talking about!? We are not close to doing that, you big jerk!" Lucy then tries to glare at the man but when she saw the mischievous smile of Natsu, she lost her focus and suddenly slips in her gown, "Kyaaa!"

 _Boog!_

"Hey Lucy, you okay?" Natsu hurriedly ran next to the blonde on the floor

"Oww..." Lucy hissed in pain

"Oi, Luce, you okay?" Natsu repeated

"What do you think?! And get away from me!" Lucy then pushes Natsu's hand away from her

"Hey, I was just joking..." Natsu then drops himself to the floor and sat in front of the blonde

"You have bad jokes...are you socially impaired?" Lucy annoyed asked

"I don't think so...why?" Natsu then cocks his head to the side

"Well you make violating and sexual harassment jokes...baka" Lucy then looks away after insulting the man

"Well, I guess I could be socially impaired," Natsu said as he admitted. When he said that, Lucy gave him a short glance before looking away again, "Sorry..." Natsu said immediately

"Can you please promise me you'd stop making those creepy jokes?" Lucy asked Natsu who quickly nods his head, "Yes, I promise!" Natsu then raised his right hand as if he was taking an oath

"Good...can we go home now?" Lucy then tries to stand up from her position but then she was having a difficult time since she was in a gown and her shoes keeps on getting tangled to her dress

"Yes," Natsu replied as he stood up. When he was finally up, he could see the struggle of the blonde and so he lowers himself again and suddenly scooped the blonde up in a bridal style.

Surprised at the sudden carrying, Lucy squealed as she instinctively wraps her arms around his neck, "N-Na-Natsu! Put me down!"

"Alright, alright, I was just trying to help..." Natsu then lowers his grip to her as he made her stand on her own. When Lucy was finally standing, she fixed herself and made sure she looked normal. Though, no matter how much fixing she does to herself, her cheeks wouldn't stop heating up.

"I guess Loke never carried you like that, to get flustered like this" Natsu commented and Lucy widens her eyes in bafflement

"S-shut up!" Lucy exclaimed before walking away from the man, heading towards the direction they were heading to moments ago. As Natsu watched the blonde walk away, he couldn't help but find Lucy very amusing because she could be all flustered as a girl could be but be an Amazonian when she wants to be mad. Soon enough, he walks closely behind the blonde.

* * *

When the two finally reached the garage of the young president, Natsu made Lucy ride his red Jaguar F-type car. Within a few minutes, they were already in the lobby of the actress' condo building. During the ride, they were very silent. They didn't attempt to make any conversation, after all, enough joking happened already in the Manor.

So, when they finally reach the lobby of the condominium building, Natsu slowly looks at Lucy who seemed to be thinking so hard.

"Um, I guess, take care, Luce..." Natsu softly said so that he wouldn't startle the actress

"Oh, uh, yeah...same to you," Lucy said back as she shyly looks at Natsu

Not sure of what to do next, whether they should hug or tap one another on the shoulder, Lucy decided to just nod towards the man. And when Natsu copied her gesture, she slightly turns herself to open the door. But as soon as she clicks to open the door, she looked back at Natsu and asked, "Do you want to come up for a few minutes?"

Surprised at the sudden invitation, Natsu showed his shock by widening his eyes. When Lucy closely observed him, he tried to come up with something to cover up his surprise, "Well aren't you very bold of asking a guy to your home..."

"Wha-hey, I'm just being polite okay..." Lucy then looks away as she felt her cheeks to redden

"I'm just kidding..." Natsu then gives a wide grin when Lucy looked at him and started to glare

"You and your bad jokes" Lucy stated making the pinkette chuckle

"I'd like to come up for a few minutes" Natsu then sincerely smiles towards the blonde who in return smiles genuinely too.

Soon enough, Natsu and Lucy entered the building and headed straight to the condo unit of the actress. Thankfully, not many people were walking around and took notice of the two. Despite living in that condo unit for years, Lucy still gets into a neighbor's rumor about who comes with her in her unit.

So gratefully getting inside the unit without meeting any vulgar neighbors, Lucy quickly offers Natsu a cup of coffee. As Lucy readies the coffeemaker, Lucy excused herself to change into her comfortable clothes. Soon enough, Lucy came out in her pink short sleeping shorts and white tank top. Walking towards the kitchen, she barely noticed that Natsu has taken off his coat and pulled his sleeves up till his elbow.

Being silent in his seat, Natsu had the luxury to watch Lucy prepare the coffee. With his curious gaze, he looked at Lucy from head to toe. At that moment, he saw Lucy's slim figure, her long creamy legs, her round butt, when suddenly, she turned around with two cups in hand.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting..." Lucy said as she walked up to him

With the sudden turn, Natsu felt embarrassed for checking out of the blonde actress, and because of that, his face turned red. So, when Lucy sat next to him on her kitchen island, the actress quickly took notice of his flushed face.

"Hey, you okay? You're red..." Lucy said as she slides the cup to the man

"Yeah, I guess the alcohol is kicking in" Natsu replied as he shakingly took the cup to hide his face

"Well, then it's good that I offered you coffee..." After she smiled to the man, she looked away and sipped on her own cup.

When they have become silent, Lucy had the feeling of starting a real conversation with the man, just like they had on the balcony. So, clearing her throat, she began.

"Hey," Lucy then looked at her side, which Natsu did also, "Just wanted to thank you for a good time tonight"

"You don't have too. If there was someone who should be thankful, it should be me" Natsu then careful places the cup on the table and turns to face the blonde, "Thank you, Lucy..."

Smiling at the expression of gratitude of the man, Lucy nodded as she replied, "You're welcome"

As Natsu turns around to face the kitchen once again, he began talking,"I know that I have told you before that my mom always sets me up for a blind date"

"Yeah, that's why you agreed to the contract because you wanted to end those unwanted dates" Lucy answered

"Well, there is more to it than just that"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked as she looked at the man with confusion

"The reason why I agreed to this contract was because I wanted to change my parent's mind about me taking my inheritance to give it away to my girlfriend" Natsu slowly glances at Lucy who had her brows furrowed together

"Wait, me?" Lucy shockingly asks as she points to herself

"No," Natsu then sips his coffee before continuing, "my ex-girlfriend"

"Ex-girl-friend?" Lucy said the words slowly as if she couldn't believe what she was saying

"Yeah, I once had a girlfriend who manipulated me once to get my inheritance and transfer it to our joint bank account. Right when I was about to have it transferred to that account as a surprise to my girlfriend, I discovered that I had no power in holding that account, only my ex"

"Oh my, she tried to loot your money," Lucy said surprised

"Yeah, exactly. That is why mom is very suspicious of the women I bring to these kinds of event"

"No wonder your mom kept a very sharp gaze to us," Lucy said in astonishment as she recalled moments that she saw the stern gaze of the middle-aged blunette.

"Yeah, so thanks for keeping up a good show to her"

"oh, acting is very easy for me..." Lucy then smiled to herself before glancing at the smiling man, "Since you started telling the truth, I guess I have to tell you mine too"

"What truth? That your really not a Heartfilia?" Natsu curiously questioned, which earn him a slap on the arm and a glare from the blonde

"No," Lucy tsked at the man first before continuing, "the reason why I was late"

"Oh, that...and the reason why you cut me short last night when I was about to give you details," Natsu said as he nodded

"uh...yeah..." Lucy then shyly looked away as she prepared to tell her story, "Well, you see I am a Heartfilia. But the reason why people never knew that, was because I ran away from home. I didn't want to bring the last name, and attending tonight as a Heartfilia Heiress was pretty much heavy for me."

Looking at Natsu, Lucy saw how focused Natsu was as he listened to her, "So when you called last night, telling me about the plan, I just couldn't do it. I was scared that my father might know I'm flaunting his name, I was mad at myself for thinking like that. I just couldn't bring myself to be part of the plan"

"What made you change your mind?" Natsu asked

"I don't know really...I guess, I just wanted to challenge my fear. I wanted to prove my father that I wasn't a shadow of his, that I make my own decisions"

"Well, that is a lot of courage for you. So, I'm grateful you stepped out"

With his kind words, Lucy looked at Natsu and watched him give her a sweet smile of his. She knew at that instant, she has found another friend, which could keep her real identity. She knew, at some point, she and Natsu will be good friends.

"Thanks for listening..." She said bluntly

"You're welcome"

* * *

After that short conversation of Natsu and Lucy, the two then bid one another goodbye. Compared to the situation back in the car, Lucy and Natsu just knew how to say their goodbyes, by shaking their hands. And with that, the two knew that they will be keeping a casual relationship.

Hours past, Lucy found herself being awoken by her assistant in the middle of the night. She was told that she had to start preparing because they had to leave soon for the location of the shoot. And with that, Lucy did her routine while her assistant prepared all the things needed. Within an hour, the whole group was on the road for the location.

When Lucy and her team have finally reached the location, she was put quickly in prep. Her hair was being fixed, her clothes were being prepared and her script was on her hand.

As she tried to memorize her lines, she kept her personal phone in view. From time to time, she'd glance at it and stare if there was a message. But since the time was still too early, Lucy decided to focus on her script instead of her phone.

"Don't be ridiculous Mayhem, I know you did it," Lucy said as she closed her eyes and internalized, "You killed King because you know that he knows who you really are"

"Ahh!" A girl with brown hair then screeches in excitement, making Lucy pop open one of her eyes

"Why are you shouting? Can't you see I'm internalizing?" Lucy said in a pissed tone

"Gomen Lucy-sama...it's just that, I'm like seeing a sneak peek for the upcoming episode," the young brunette said as she bashfully bits her finger

"Are you new to this team?" Lucy asked curiously

"I'm just a substitute for Hana, cause she's called in sick today" the brunette then smiled to the actress. After hearing the explanation, Lucy just sighed and looked back to her script again while the girl continued to fix her hair.

As the two ladies continued their task, the phone of Lucy suddenly buzzed but the actress wasn't able to notice as she was so focused on her script. And so, when the hairdresser noticed it, she said, "Oh, your phone Lucy-sama"

"What about it?" Lucy asked as she continued reading her script

"It's buzzing..."

"Buzzing?!" Lucy repeated in surprise that she almost dropped her script as she tries to look for her phone. And just when she placed the script on the table in front of her, she grabbed her phone and checked who could have messaged her.

As she excitedly opens her phone, she was quickly dismayed when she saw that it was just her agent telling her that she had to drop by the management within this week for a short meet up.

Before Lucy could even react more, Laki, her assistant came up to her and greeted her, "Lucy-sama!"

"Hey, Laki..." Lucy greeted back but with disappointment in her voice

"What's wrong Lucy-sama?" Laki asked as she took the script from the table

"Nothing..." Lucy replied as she slightly throws her phone to the table

When the blonde didn't talk further, the hair-dressed then took her chance to explain the situation to the assistant without getting busted. She began to say it without a sound and despite the struggle of understanding, she was able to decipher that Lucy was expecting a text message from someone.

Before Laki could even console her boss, the actress began ranting without caring who might hear her.

"Is it so hard to call people or text them?" Lucy then eyed the two ladies at her back, "I mean yeah, it's still too early but he knows I have an early shoot. So, is it hard to send at least a good morning message or something?"

"Umm...Lucy-sama?" Laki hesitantly called, "Who are we talking about?"

"I mean yeah, he could be asleep and be busy later. But still, I thought at least we are friends now!" Lucy then puffs in annoyance as she crosses her arms

"If it's so important Lucy-sama, why not be the one to call or text him?" Laki suggested as she sheepishly smiled back at the almost naturally blushing blonde

When Lucy realized that she has been ranting about Natsu not giving her a text or even a missed call, she felt embarrassed. Even the thought that she is feeling disappointed that Natsu hasn't given her at least a greeting, makes her feel embarrassed because she is fully aware that she shouldn't be demanding attention from an acquaintance. So clearing her throat to compose herself again, she smiled to her assistant and said, "It's not important...I don't need to call him or text him...it's not important. Okay?"

"O-okay..." Laki repeated before looking at the hairdresser who was confused as well with the sudden change of attitude.

And just when Lucy nodded in conviction, the assistant director have already begun calling all the actors needed in the scene, and Lucy is one of them.

"Alright, time to go" Lucy then stepped down from her seat and began walking towards the set. When suddenly, she turned around and walked back to the two. Taken aback, the assistant and hairdresser suddenly flinched and watched the blonde walk towards them.

"Lucy-sama?" Laki called

"I forgot," Lucy said as she quickly snatched her phone and walked to the set

"But, you can't bring your phone..." Laki hesitantly reminded. And with that, Lucy turned her back again and walked up to the purple-haired woman, "Right, I forgot" Lucy then handed her phone before walking away.

When Lucy was nearly 3 meters away from the set, she turned her back again and walked up to Laki, who was still stunned at the weird behavior of her boss.

"Can you get my attention if my phone would buzz? I just...just call me okay?" Lucy then shyly smiled to her assistant who was getting suspicious of her boss, "O-okay..."

"Thanks," Lucy said as she tapped the shoulder of her assistant. And with that, she ran quickly to the set.

* * *

The taping went on for almost two hours and their first break was called at exactly 7 in the morning. Just when the director calls for a break, the personal phone of Lucy suddenly buzzed. And as instructed by her boss, Laki quickly called the attention of the blonde gesturing that her phone was buzzing. And so, Lucy quickly walked up to her assistant and took her phone.

"Hello!" Lucy quickly greeted without looking at the caller ID

"Lucy!" A sweet voice chimed at the other end of the line

"Oh...Mira" Lucy's high-pitched voice suddenly faded when she realized it was not the person she was hoping to receive a call

"Lucy? What's wrong? You sounded disappointed, are you waiting for someone to call you?" Mira continuously poured questions to the blonde, who quickly snapped out of her disappointment

"Oh no! I was just...thinking that the management wants me to drop by immediately" Lucy then began to walk away from her assistant after handing her a towel she just used

"Oh don't worry Lucy. The management loves you and you are one of the best actresses that agency have. Don't worry about that meet up" Lucy then shyly smiled at the other end of the call

"Yeah, I guess so...so, why'd you call?" Lucy asked as she slowly took a seat on an empty bench, not far enough from the set

"Nothing much, just checking up on my talent. I heard, your dating again?" Mira's voice suddenly changed as if she was holding herself from squealing

Mira is a really good friend of Lucy, after all, she is the older sister of her friend Lissana. With that connection, she knows that Mira is familiar with Natsu as well. But despite all this, she has made a contract with Natsu that no one else would know about the deal and so, Lucy held her tongue back in revealing the truth.

"Yeah...I am...I'm seeing someone" Lucy then closed her eyes as she mental asked for forgiveness to the white-haired talent manager

"Ahh! I'm so happy for you!" Mira finally lets out her squeal, "Not just as your manager but as a friend. I may have shipped you and Loke back then, but now, I'm shipping you with..." Mira then trails off as she realized she didn't know who Lucy was dating, "Um...who are you dating?" Mira shortly asked with curiosity in her voice

"Umm...I'll tell you when we see each other" Lucy then smiled as if she was innocent, "Hey I got to go, I only have five minutes left before we start again"

"Alright..." Mira said in her defeated tone, "Anyways, I'm happy for you that you got rid of that rumor. But, I have to request from you to avoid bumping into Loke for the meantime since I handle him as well. We don't want you two both having more rumors about one another that could destroy both of your careers. Work hard at the set! And I'll see you soon!"

"Okay, bye Mira!" Lucy then pulled her phone away from her ear before staring blankly at her phone. Just when Lucy was about to lose herself in her zoning out, Laki extended a cup of coffee and smiled towards her. Happily accepting the cup, Lucy smiled back at her and thank her. Within a few minutes, they were called back to the set.

Without knowing, the day has already ended and so did the taping. Even if Lucy barely noticed that her taping for that day ended already, she has been aware that she never received a call, not one call from a certain pink-haired man.

"Lucy-sama, we'll be set to leave within an hour. Will you be okay to stay here?" Laki asked as she one by one cleaned up the things of the actress

"Don't worry about me Laki," Lucy then looked up at her assistant before grinning mischievously

"Lu-Lucy-sama?"

"I have a plan…You can bring my things back to the condo, I'll have someone to pick me up" Lucy then smiled triumphantly which made the assistant gulp in nervousness. And with that, the blonde actress stood up from her couch and headed out of her resting tent.

When Lucy was out in the open, a few media was already waiting outside, trying to snap some pictures of the actress. And since Lucy was aware of this, she grinned, even more, when her plan was being set on the play. Soon enough, the actress was standing a few meters away from the media when she took out her phone and began to press on her phone. Within a minute, she is already putting her phone next to her ear as she waited for the call to connect.

* * *

 _Kring Kring Kring_

The phone of the young president continued to buzz as he continued to read on some documents that he has been reading and studying for the upcoming annual conference with the board members of the Dragon Empire Group.

As his phone continued to ring, he tried to ignore the resounding chime of his phone but the longer he let it ring, the more he has become unfocused in his work. And so, he slams down the paper he was reading to grab his phone. Surprised at first to see the caller ID, Natsu couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh before answering the call.

"Hello," Natsu said in a bored tone  
 _"Hi babe~"_ Lucy answered in her sweet voice which made Natsu raise his brow  
"Lucy?" Natsu called her name but then he only heard her soft giggles, "Why are you calling me babe?" Natsu asked in pure confusion, _"Aww…you missed me? I missed you too"_ Lucy continued to ignore his words  
"Oi Lucy, what the heck are you talking about?"  
 _"What? You'll pick me up?"_ Lucy said without a care in the world, which made Natsu stiff somehow in her words. When Natsu finally realized what the actress may be doing, he asked, "Wait, are you in front of some media?"  
 _"Yeah"_ Lucy then replied in her more normal voice  
"So this is a setup?" Natsu then furrowed, even more, his brow when he thought that the blonde was beginning to lose her sanity, "Oi Lucy-"  
 _"Yeah, I'm in Hargeon and taping just ended…"_ Lucy said as if she was talking to someone else  
"Wait are you making me pick you up in Hargeon?" Natsu began to feel nervous as he thought that the actress was trying to set him up to do something she wanted him to do  
 _"You will pick me up? Aww, thank you, babe!"_ Lucy said in her sweet, almost baby talk voice  
"O-wa-wait!"  
 _"Alright! I'll see you in an hour! Bye"_ and with that, the actress drops the call and before Natsu could stop the actress from hanging up, the call has already ended.  
"Ahh! That actress!" Natsu then scowled at his phone when he realized that he has been tricked by the blonde. Just when Natsu was about to ignore the call and throw his phone back to his table, his phone buzzed again but this time, a message came from the blonde.

 _ **6:15pm  
From: Lucy**_

 _Don't even bother to ignore what happened. Because all media in front of me just heard what I said. And so, they are expecting you to arrive within an hour.  
38_ _th_ _Ave. Coconut street, Hargeon_

 _See ya! Babe_

"Ahh!" Natsu scowled out loud, "You…damn it!" the pinkette then slams his palms on his table before he began to clean up his desk. He quickly fixed his papers, put it back to a folder, and staked it up until all his files were piled up. Soon enough, he took out his bag and drops his phone and glasses inside before pushing himself out of his chair. Within a few minutes, the young president was off on the road heading Hargeon.

* * *

Just as expected, a black Maserati suddenly came in view and slowed down to a crowded place. With this sudden site in view, Lucy couldn't help but grin triumphantly as she made Natsu do what she wanted. And so, standing up from her director's chair, taking her handbag, she began to stroll forward to meet the pink-haired president.

"Hi babe," Lucy greeted as she stood before the man, who just stepped out of his car

"Babe…" Natsu said back as if he was testing the word, as he eyed the secretly grinning woman, "Let's go?"

"I'd love to" Lucy then turned her heel and went to stand before the passenger seat. But instead of opening the door by herself, she just stood there and waited. When Lucy agreed, Natsu turned himself as well and headed to the driver's side. And when he was about to open his own door, he noticed that Lucy just stood there as if waiting.

When Natsu realized what Lucy was doing, he mentally cursed at the blonde actress for being demanding, knowing that all photographers present at the venue have their attention. And so, after Natsu threw an irritated look to the woman, who just giggled at his misery, he walked to the passenger's side and opened the door for the actress.

Holding the door for Lucy, Natsu then said to the blonde, "Well, get in…" when Lucy slightly giggled, Natsu continued to give a scrutinizing look at the woman.

"Thanks, babe," Lucy said as she softly caresses the cheek of the man then, without warning Lucy leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, she quickly gave a quite snappy slap to his cheek then entered the car.

When Lucy did that sudden kiss and slap, Natsu was left stunned and taken aback that he just stared at the manipulative actress. As Natsu continued to stare at the woman, he realized that it was all in the plan of the woman and so, slowly he closed the door. As he was walking towards the driver's side, he heard a few of the mumbles of the freelance photographers.

" _I guess it's official, she wouldn't kiss him in public if they weren't dating…"_ _  
"You're right. She never even dared to be affectionate to Loke in public, back then"  
"They are totally dating"  
"Worth a showbiz news"  
"Got to call the head! I have an exclusive story of Lucy!"_

Once Natsu was at his door and entered the car, he quickly looked at the woman next to him and gave an examining glance. As for Lucy, she didn't mind the intense stare, instead, she even found the situation amusing. And so, she didn't stop herself from smiling as she slowly looked at the man.

"Let's go" Lucy then smiled at the man but then Natsu kept his intense stare at the woman

"Is that your usual habit of greeting people?" Natsu curiously asked but with an intonation of disbelief

"What are you talking about?" Lucy innocently asked back as she tried to calm her smiling face

"You just kissed me in front of those media…" Natsu then raised his brow at the woman whom he found very weird

As Lucy looked away from Natsu, she inwardly smirked to herself before she answered Natsu, "Rule number two, the two must act like a couple in front of the media and family of Natsu", then Lucy looked back at Natsu and continued, "It's called acting babe, acting…"

"Huh…" Natsu astoundingly chuckled as he realized that indeed he was manipulated by the actress, "Right…acting...all because of a deal"

"Yes, babe…now can we go?" Lucy then innocently smiled at Natsu who just shook his head in disbelief

"Of course, _babe_ " and with that Natsu pressed the start button of the car and speeds off away from Coconut street.

 **To be continued…**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Driving the road back to Magnolia, the pink-haired president silently drove while keeping a cautious attention to the blonde actress seated on the passenger side. It has been almost an erring 45-minute ride since they left Hargeon and the two haven't spoken since then.

In all honesty, the ride was growing awkward. The two just shared a kiss in front of the cameras and yet they haven't discussed anything about it. Despite Lucy explaining to Natsu that it was all for the lens, the two knew there was some discussion that needed to be made. But it seems like, none of them wanted to start the discussion first.

When Natsu couldn't take the silence anymore, he decided to break the silence first since Lucy was keeping her attention to the scenery outside. Clearing his throat, he successfully catches the attention of the actress, and then he said, "So where do I drop you off?"

Glancing at him, Lucy had a relaxing face when she replied, "Back to my condo would be good,"  
"Alright," Natsu answered back but then it was silent again. Natsu wanted to break the silence all the way, so he decided to make another conversation.

"Will you be working in Hargeon for the whole week?" Natsu asked as he gave a short glance to the woman before looking back at the road  
"Not really," Lucy answered, "Just until tomorrow. Then on Wednesday I'd be working in another location…"

"Oh," that was all Natsu could respond. Unsure of how to continue the conversation, he felt blessed when he sees the next corner to Lucy's condo building and so he said, "We're here…"

Just as he drives the car up the driveway to drop Lucy off, Lucy suddenly looked at him and asked, "Do you want to come up? I'd make you a cup of tea…" Lucy then smiles at the man but then he shook his head and said, "No thanks, I have to head back to the office"

"Office? But it's almost 8 and…I was thinking we could talk…" Lucy shifted a bit in her seat to face the man to show her sincerity but then she still gets the same response.  
"Lucy, I left work to pick you up at Hargeon because you told me to. I'm getting delayed because of your scheme. Now I have to get back to work because I needed to finish my work."

It was weird for Lucy to feel something odd stirring in her chest. Not knowing what exactly what it was, she just sighed and said, "Alright, fine. Just being a good person…" and with that Lucy turns to open her door and stand up quickly.

Natsu didn't go unnoticed the sudden sadness in Lucy's eyes as if he had hurt her after declining her offer. But since he thought that he couldn't mind this right now since he had somewhere else to be, he just watched the actress step out of his car. Right when Lucy stood up, she bent down again and said to him, "Pick me up tomorrow again. Same time same place" and then Lucy slammed the door shut. Surprised a bit with the strong push to the door, Natsu concluded that Lucy was mad at him. But like he said to himself, he can't deal with this right now and so, he left the building.

When Lucy was back at her condo unit, she sighed in exhaustion. Taking her shoes off, she quickly slips on her home slippers. Walking to her living room, she dropped her handbag on the plush chair and took a seat on her couch. She then laid her head on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling.

"I was just offering a tea. Who refuses tea?" She mumbles to no one when suddenly she sat up and stared ahead, "Why does he have to sound so mean? I was just being nice…" Lucy then grumbles in her seat before she punches the couch in frustration, "He doesn't have to act so mean. I mean it was part of the deal, so why the heck is he like mad at me…" When Lucy knew that no one could answer her, she just sighed as she drops her back to the couch again and crossed her arm.  
"I shouldn't be upset. It's not like we're a real thing or something. He's not even my friend, he's just an acquaintance…" realizing that fact, Lucy couldn't help but feel bothered about it because she was indeed feeling upset. Laying her head on the back of the couch again, she mumbled softly, "Yet I feel upset about this…"

* * *

When the next day came, all things that needed to be finished was done without any hassles for both Natsu and Lucy. And just as the day ends, as instructed to him by Lucy, Natsu was back at the Hargeon shooting location and waited for the blonde actress to approach him. Just like the previous day, a few freelance photographers were there to capture every move of the actress and that included her actions whenever she is around the pink haired man.

"Hey babe," Lucy said almost with a monotonous voice, as she approached Natsu and gave him a kiss on his cheek before she side steps to enter the car. With the way Lucy greeted him and compared it from the previous day, Lucy was sure to be distant. But Natsu decided to shrug it off before the media even takes note of it. And so, entering the driver's side, he gave a short glance at the blonde first before he starts the car. When Lucy remained silent, Natsu decided to have a talk while they were on the road.

After a 10 minute silent drive, Natsu decided it was time to break the silence. And so, he clears his throat, hoping to catch the attention of the blonde. But when he looked at her, she still looked outside and silently gazed at the road.

"Lucy," Natsu called hoping that he wouldn't be ignored  
"…Yes?" Lucy softly answered without even looking at him  
"Um…So, where will you be located tomorrow?" Natsu asked, trying to message her that he was willing now to play the role of her boyfriend  
"You don't have to pick me up anymore," Lucy replied with an expressionless voice, still not looking at him. And somehow this surprised the president because at some point he knew that Lucy was indeed mad at him, "No, um, I'll be off early tomorrow so, picking you up won't be a bother," Natsu answers, giving a grin to the blonde, hoping that she'd see it, to show her that he was sincere. Finally, turning her head to look at the pinkette, Lucy sternly gazed at him and said, "And like I said, you don't have to. I don't want to be a bother," and she quickly looked away before Natsu could even look at her too. When Natsu had enough of the silent treatment, he turns the steering wheel and parks the car at the side of the road, making Lucy wonder why he'd stop. Looking at the driving pinkette, she asked, "Why'd you stop?"  
"Luce, we need to talk," Natsu said as he puts the car in a break and shifts his position to look at the blonde, "Are you mad at me?"  
"Mr. Dragneel, we do not make any nicknames for one another. We are just an acquaintance, so we are not that close. I know, making you pick me up in my location is a damn hassle for you, so this would be the last." And with that, Lucy looks away again as she crosses her arms under her chest.

With the words Lucy said, it was no doubt Lucy was mad at Natsu and he has to fix it because they were in a deal. Working with a person they were in conflict only makes the situation worse. And so, Natsu decided to apologize.

"Look, Lucy, I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. I know that you had a good intention when you asked me to come up for a tea. But I really just had to leave because I had a dinner business meeting last night and I was running late," Natsu then waited for the actress to give any reaction  
"That is why," Lucy hastily looks at Natsu, "You don't have to Mr. Dragneel. Not anymore!"  
"Luce-"  
"It's Lucy, not Luce" Lucy immediately interrupted  
"Fine, _Lucy_ —that's not what I meant, okay? I was just not prepared…" Natsu then seriously looked at the blonde who was still fuming in annoyance  
"That is why no more. I'm not obliging you. I'm sorry if I interrupted you yesterday. I was hoping yesterday that you'd at least let me know what was up but _since_ you never contacted me, I thought I could try and make you come over. I'm sorry Mr. Dragneel for forgetting you were a president and that you were too busy." After that rant, Lucy looked away and somehow she turned herself, fully facing the door.

When Natsu sighed, he realized that Lucy really didn't know that he had a full schedule for that day and that she shouldn't be taking any of his furious last night. Trying to think of what he could do to avoid any troubles like this again, he suddenly thought of a good idea.

"Lucy, what's your email?" He asked as he pulls out his mobile phone and started typing something  
"…What for?" Lucy plainly asked  
"So that, my schedule could be synced to your email and you can see if I have a full sched…" Natsu said when suddenly he hears her chuckle. Looking at the actress with pure confusion, he asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"Is this how you deal scheduling with your previous girlfriends?" Lucy asked with curiosity in her voice, "You get their email, sync your sched, and plot an available time for them?"  
"Well…" Natsu started but was cut short immediately  
"Oh my goodness…really? You're ridiculous!" Lucy said it more like accusing than finding it amusing, "How can you do that to your previous girlfriends?!"  
"Okay, technically no. I was not as busy as I am now. I used to be a general manager and schedule wasn't much of a problem. But now that I'm the president, things have gone a little bit more hectic," Natsu said bashfully before he rubs the back of his neck, "Lucy, look I'm sorry. I guess doing this deal needs me to play my part more than I do now. So, let me do my part more efficiently this time…"  
Staring at him for a moment, Lucy couldn't place a finger on how Natsu could manage to convince her to give him another shot when she was just about to cut the deal off. She felt like ending it but with the way Natsu was asking for a second chance, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Fine," Lucy couldn't believe herself, "Another try. You do your part as my pretend boyfriend and I do my part as your fake girlfriend. Do what a boyfriend usually do, and I will do what a good girlfriend does." Lucy then sees Natsu's face light up, "Yosh! Lucy! I promise I'll be doing my role better"  
"Good, now we have a deal. Can we go home?" Lucy then gives a smile to the man who was smiling back at her, "Of course, _babe_ …" and with that, Natsu shifted the gear while he and Lucy laughed together.

* * *

The week went on. With Lucy being located at different locations, Lucy has insisted to Natsu that he shouldn't force himself to pick her up anymore because at least they have made an appearance together already. But Natsu just wouldn't accept it and said to the blonde that, as a boyfriend role, he just wouldn't give up easily. And so, just like that, Natsu picked Lucy up the whole week without much complaining.

It's Friday already and Lucy was just having a tapping in one of the studios of the network her series is being shown. So while at their break, Lucy got her phone and started dialing the number of the pink haired president. After three rings, the call connected, "Hey Natsu," she greeted  
"Oh, Lucy, what's up?" Natsu replies  
"Not much. Just having our last break for the day…" Lucy answers as she checks her fingernails and sees that her nail polish was beginning to chip off  
"That's great. So around what time do I come by?" then a sound of paper being flipped, making Lucy think that Natsu was actually busy, "Um, about three hours from now…are you busy? I didn't mean to disturb you…"  
"No, it's fine. Just reviewing some reports…" and with that Natsu loudly closes a folder and slams his palm on the table, "So in three hours I'll be at the open parking lot of FBS…"  
"Great!" Lucy cheeringly replies, "Alright, I won't disturb anymore, and go back to your work again. Bye!" and with that, Lucy ends the call.

Just as she returns her personal phone back to her bag, her assistant suddenly comes up to her with a worried expression. "Laki, what's wrong?"  
"Um, Lucy-sama, the director and the producers of the show wants you to come and join the meeting later after your last scene." The purple-haired assistant said with her fingers fumbling with the papers she was hugging to her chest  
"Meeting room? What will we be discussing?" Lucy asked back, a little bit nervous  
"Ms. Margaret didn't tell me," Laki then looks down to her feet as she felt guilty for not asking enough questions to the secretary of the producer, "I'm sorry Lucy-sama…"  
"It's fine Laki…will Mira be there?" Lucy then leans back to her director's chair as she crosses her arm, to hide the shaking of her hands. Looking up at her boss, she answered, "Mirajane-sama is supposed to be, but unfortunately she can't come because she's in a meeting with another producer for Ms. Yukino's new project"  
"Oh, I see…" Lucy then sighs when she realizes that she has to deal this meeting alone, "Alright, remind me later after my last scene."  
"Yes, Lucy-sama" and with that Laki bows to Lucy before she walks off to start fixing the things of her boss.

As Lucy was left alone to think, she started to have bad feelings about this because being called for a meet up with the director and producer of her show means a bad omen. The moment her assistant told her that she was being called by the higher ups, she felt her nerves shaking because she instantly remembered the last time she attended the meeting, and she was close to tearing up.

Haggardly sighing, Lucy mumbles, "I wonder what they will tell me this time..."

* * *

"...And cut!" Director Warrod then shouts after a few seconds passed after Lucy delivered her last line. "Alright everyone, let's pack up the set! Thank you, everyone, for your hard work!" Warrod exclaimed as he stood up from his chair before he started clapping. Soon everyone copied the director and starts clapping as well as they bowed and shook hands with everyone on set.

When all of the staff has started to pack up, Laki immediately walked up to Lucy and handed her a bottle of water and a face towel. When Lucy took it, the actress gave her thanks and sat down in her director's chair, "Lucy-sama," Laki politely called and Lucy looked at her with curiosity in her eyes, "You should start freshening up because you have to attend the meeting with Warrod-sama and the producers" Laki then takes the bottle that Lucy handed back  
"Yes, right...I should start getting changed" and with that, Lucy stepped down from her chair and turned to get her clothes from Laki. When the actress left to enter the bathroom, the assistant definitely noticed something different.

"Lucy-sama is pretty sure nervous..." Laki mumbles to herself as she watches her boss enter the bathroom when suddenly she was startled by a voice, "Why do you think so?" The person asked. Looking at whom the person she was standing next to, she sees a sand-ish blonde haired man with confusion on his face, "Max!" Laki exclaimed  
"What?" the man replied, who seemed to be clueless of what he did to the purple haired assistant  
"You startled me!" Laki then slaps the man by his arm, making him flinch in surprise  
"Hey, that hurts..." Max said back as he stepped back a bit while he rubbed his inflicted arm, "I didn't mean to surprise you. I was just wondering what's wrong with our actress..."  
Looking up at the taller man, Laki pushes her glasses in position first before she tiptoed to softly whisper to Max's ear, "Lucy-sama is asked to join the meeting of the director and producers of the show"  
"Nani?!" Max half whispered, half shouted as he widens his eyes to the woman who just nodded, "Do you think she's being cut off from the show?" Max asked again  
"I don't know...but the last I heard, the show was being cut short" Laki then nods to the man who seemed so surprised to the news.  
"Oh, this is not good. Her rumors might have affected her credibility as an actress and now producers don't want her..." Max then pulls his hair in frustration for the actress but instead of being supported by the assistant, he receives another slap on his arm.  
"Don't say that Max! No matter what rumor Lucy-sama has, her acting credibility never fails to impress the audience" Laki then straightens her back, boosting her boss' ego. Before Max could even reply, Lucy finally stepped out of the bathroom, wearing her white sheer top with sleeves folded until her elbow, tucked under her faded blue jeans, and finishing her style with white open toed heels. The moment Laki sees the blonde, she rushed to her boss to take the costume and bowed before her as the actress turned to leave and head towards the meeting room inside the main building of their network.

Soon enough, Lucy reached the meeting conference hall and she sees her directors, producers, and even the head manager for the entertainment of the Fiore Broadcasting Station, seated around the table. With a few of the main cast of the show present at the meeting, Lucy sat next to the woman with a few gray hairs and quietly waited for the meeting to start.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming-" The head manager of the network, Mito Ikawa, spoke as he stood up to get the full attention of the attendees, "despite the short notice of this urgent meeting…" everyone in the room then nodded as they waited for the manager to speak again. "Well, barely a month ago, we had a meeting regarding the ratings of the drama series, and unfortunately, the show receives low ratings"

Despite the sad news, everyone nodded their head, admitting that the series was beginning to lose their audience, "And one of the things we have discussed before was the official date of the finale." The manager then sits back to his chair as he sighs in sadness, "We, the producers, directors, and the FBS have discussed back then regarding the date, hoping to postpone the plan of an early finale. With the hope that the ratings will ascend, we are sad to say that it didn't reach its goal. So, I, and Ms. Yumata and her production have decided to plot a finale week."

Soon everyone widens their eyes and looked at one another as confusion lingered in their faces. Warrod didn't seem fazed by the news and for Lucy, she somehow expected it sooner. And so, silently waiting for the producer to speak up, Lucy made sure to hide her fidgeting hands.

"In the television, it hasn't been announced yet but two weeks from now, the show will be ending. And basically, the last three weeks that we had been taping, covers the last two week episodes." The head producer of the show said as she looked at her cast, who seemed uncomfortable to the news

"Wait, so you're saying that today was the last shooting?" An actor in his mid-thirties asked  
"Yes Raiten," the lady replies as she looked at him apologetically  
"But the last scenes in the script are very cliff hanging. No audience likes cliffhangers especially if the show has no season two," this time, an actress in her early thirties stated as she made eye contact with the producer. But instead of the producer speaking, it was Warrod who did, "Jekka, we know that the script is pretty much unfinished but with the low ratings we got and the cut costing of our budget, I doubt we would be able to finish the whole story."  
"But if we have a season two, will we be able to finish it?" the actress name Jekka asked again  
"Most probably. But I doubt people would want a season two," Warrod said before he leans back to his chair and sighs

When everyone fell silent, thinking of the sudden sad news for the show, the young series princess was suddenly called attention, "Ms. Lucy," Mito called, and so, Lucy looked up, "Yes, Mr. Ikawa?"  
"Do you have any concern you want to address?" the manager asked  
"…I-uh…I just want to apologize…" Lucy said as she places her hands on the table and let it fidget despite knowing her co-actors looking at her, "I was somehow expecting the show would be cut short. I know that you wouldn't verbally blame anyone from the show, but it's obvious that the ratings were somehow affected because of the numerous rumors about me" Lucy said with hint of embarrassment and sadness in her voice  
"Lucy Ashley, please, don't blame yourself for the low rating of the show. It just so happens that our rival shows got more attention than ours," Era Yumata, the producer said, as she smiled genuinely at the actress  
"I know that," Lucy said, still not looking up at the producer, "But usually, rumors bring attention to the show. But instead of attention, we lost the interest of our audience and negative quotation about me and the show started coming"  
"Oh dear," the veteran actress seated next to Lucy rubbed her back as comfort, "Don't be harsh on yourself. We all know that rumors are plain rumors because you're nothing like those bad news mentioned. You are one good actress and no one blames you for the negative response of the people to the show"  
"Thank you Gema-sama. But I just feel responsible enough, because if it weren't for those bad rumors about me, the show wouldn't be even bad mouthed. They called the drama as cheap, shallow, and boring, all because I was cast for the lead role. They saw me as a stalker to Loke, and considered me as cheap and pathetic…" Lucy then felt her eyes sting as salty tears begin to pool  
"Ms. Ashley," the manager called, making Lucy look up with tears rolling down her cheek, "there was no better actress to play your role. You portrayed the character well that she seemed to exist,"  
"that's true Ashley," Era added, "You are talented and some bad rumors can never take that away from you"  
"As you director, Ashely," Warrod suddenly speaks, "to all of you actually, I have never been honored to take part in such project. Despite the sad outcome of the show, I would never regret taking this project. All of you are talented and the show would never have come to life without you."  
"True," Era agreed, "I am happy to have this cast. And Lucy, you being cheap and pathetic is far too opposite from the truth. So please, forget those rumors" Lucy then nods as she slowly tried to smile at the producers, managers, and directors, but her effort didn't change the fact that she was devastated.  
"I hope this won't be our last meet up…Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication," and with that Warrod, Era, and Mito stood up and bowed before the cast. Soon enough, a loud clapping was heard before they all stood up and gave hugs and goodbyes to one another.

* * *

It has been almost an hour since Natsu arrived at the parking lot of Fiore Broadcasting Station and he has been trying to call the actress, but the call would always be too busy. So, he decided to patiently wait in the open parking lot of the network, wherein he sat down on the hood of his car as he played games on his phone.

"Mr. Dragneel?" a feminine voice suddenly called out making Natsu look up and put away his phone to see a purple haired woman walking towards him. Unsure of whom the lady was, Natsu just stepped down from the hood to stand and talk to the approaching woman, "Uh, yeah, that's me…who are you again?"  
"Oh," the woman then bows her head before she introduced herself, "I'm Laki Olietta, Ms. Lucy's personal assistant"  
"Oh! Hey!" Natsu then grins at the woman who blushed when she saw the kind and very _cute_ gesture of the man  
"Um… are you perhaps waiting for Lucy-sama?" Laki asked once she composed herself  
"Yeah. She told me to come over here around 6:30 but I haven't seen her yet…is she still in tapping?" Natsu asks back  
"Oh my, Lucy-sama had an urgent meeting with the producers and the FBS management an hour ago. Do you want me to check if they are almost done?" Laki was about to turn and run back inside the main building when Natsu called out and said, "Wait! No, it's fine."  
"But, how will she know that you're out here?" Laki asks as confusion becomes obvious in her face  
"She knows that I will be waiting here…" and with that Natsu smiled at the purple haired woman

Before Laki could even reply back to the young president, the phone of Natsu suddenly rang, making the two startled at the sudden sound. Fishing out his phone from his pocket, Natsu saw Lucy's caller ID, and so, quickly he answers the call, "Lucy, I'm out here in the parking lot…" Natsu quickly said without even greeting the actress. Without notice, Laki has turned her back to leave the young man to have his private conversation with the actress  
 _"Did you wait too long? I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that I had an urgent meeting…"_ Lucy said back  
"Nah, it's fine…is everything alright?" Natsu suddenly questioned when he noticed that her voice sounded different  
 _"Yeah…I'm at the parking lot already,"_ and with that Natsu looked up and saw her stepping out of the building. Without answering back, he ends the call and quickly walks up to the blonde.

The moment he was a meter away from her, he quickly notices that she seemed to be lost in her thoughts and that her eyes were puffy indicating that she recently just cried. So, quickening his steps, he quickly grabbed the shoulder of the blonde to snap her out of her thoughts and ask, "Luce, are you alright? Why did you cry?"

Surprised with the man, Lucy had her eyes widen when she realized Natsu was standing in front of her already, holding her shoulders, and had an expression of worry. Not being able to respond immediately, she just stared at him until she felt warm hands cup her cheeks and thumbs brushing her dried tears.  
"Why'd you cry?" Natsu softly asks again as he lowers himself so that they could be same eye level  
"I uh…" Lucy uttered as she tried to gather her thoughts, "just had an emotional parting with my co-actors…"

Without saying a word, Natsu pulled Lucy to his chest and hugs the woman. Weird enough for her, the gesture actually gave her comfort and so to prolong the feeling, she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighs in relief.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Natsu mumbles to her hair but she just shook her head and answered, "This is enough for me..." and with that, she felt his arms tighten even more around her waist.

They hugged one another for a good five minutes without even talking. It was silent, but it was not awkward. From time to time, Natsu would stroke her back to give her an assurance that everything was fine, and Lucy felt grateful for the gesture. When Lucy felt like the silence was too long already, she decided to speak, making the man alarmed.

"Will it be fine if we walked a bit?" Lucy mumbled to his chest. Pulling away from their embrace, Natsu cupped her cheeks once again and stared at her eyes as he said, "If that will make you feel better…" and with that, the two started their short stroll around the network.

With their silent stroll, they ended up at the small garden within the network, and they sat at one of the stone benches of the garden. When they were seated, Lucy immediately wraps her arms to Natsu's bicep and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Today was our last day of tapping…" Lucy suddenly mumbles, making Natsu look down at her and observe her sad expression, "The show was cut short, we have low ratings, a lot of bashers, many rumors…" Lucy then heaves a sigh.

Natsu didn't dare to make any comments because he knew that Lucy needed someone to share her troubles in life. Her sadness was overflowing that she needed to let go some of it so that she will be able to collect herself once again.  
"I knew that my rumors with Loke would actually affect the shows I work on. I know it's really not my fault but I just feel bad, because something great was underrated all because I was part of it…" Soon, Lucy felt her tears roll down her cheeks and this somehow stained the sleeves of the president. So, as soon as he felt wetness to his shoulder, Natsu knew Lucy was crying again.

Instead of pulling Lucy to him again to give comfort, Natsu decided to mumble his words without looking at her, "Do you remember the first time we met at Fairy Tail?"  
Lucy then lifts her head as she wipes her tears and stared at the man with confusion, "What about it?" and with that, Natsu looked at his side to glance at the blonde actress, "You were confident. You didn't give a shit about things… You were strong. Lucy, this is just some obstacles you always overcome. One day, those rumors will be forgotten to the point it would feel like it didn't exist"  
"Why do you think so?" Lucy asks back as she looks down to her fumbling hands  
"I just know so…" and with that Natsu genuinely smiled at the blonde, whom slowly looked up at him and returned the gesture before she leans her head back to his shoulder. Before she felt tiredness, she softly mumbles to Natsu, "Thank you for listening…"  
"Glad to…especially without those media around…" when Natsu didn't hear any response back, he looked at the blonde and saw she has fallen asleep already.

Chuckling at first, Natsu silently admired the peaceful look of the blonde while she slept. He took note of the fact that Lucy looked like an angel, and there was no chance that he will forget her lovely appearance, "Weirdo…" Natsu teasingly said before he gently placed his hand on her head so that he could stand and carry her back to the car.

Soon enough, the two was back at the car and Natsu gently placed Lucy to the passenger side. Within a few minutes, they were back to the road and headed back to the condo building of the actress.

 **To be continued…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

In a clean white bedroom, a gentle and warm sunlight came to seep in between the ajarred curtains and slowly crawling inside the room. A blonde actress was softly snoring in the bed dreaming about a man with pink hair, though the dream seemed hazy. As the morning continuously came, the ray of the gentle sunlight finally reached the face of the blonde and made her wake up in a calm manner. Opening one eye, the actress gave a restful sigh as she stared at the white curtains.

"It's morning already?" Lucy mumbles to herself as she fully opened her eyes to stare at her motionless curtains trying to keep the sunlight out of her eyes while giving her a small view of the blue sky. Slowly prompting herself with her elbow, she looked around her room and found it empty beside her.

"What time is it?" She asked to herself once again, as she finally sat up and turned to look at her nightstand to check on her clock. The time showed it was passed 8 in the morning already and that she has missed her morning jogging, "I guess missing out one jogging morning won't be too bad…"

Lucy then drags her legs out of her bed and stood to head towards her kitchen. As she was leaving her room, she has noticed that she was still in her clothes from last night but didn't mind it at all.

"I guess I was so tired last night with all that happened…" Lucy says as she stood before her coffeemaker and starts preparing it for her. Standing before it, she mindlessly waited for the coffee to be ready until she started remembering that she was with Natsu that night, crying herself tiredly as she expressed her sadness about the end of her show. She recalls how she told Natsu that she felt bad for the team because of her stupid rumor and that their show had to be cut short after receiving bad comments and ratings. But with all those turmoil, she also remembers how Natsu cheered her up and felt grateful to find a new friend, even a best friend if she would consider.

"Huh…" Lucy sighs while leaning to one leg as she snaps out of her recollection, "I guess, Natsu could be a really good friend…after all he's not a bad guy. Not just some acquaintance anymore…" Lucy realized and slowly, she found herself smiling, knowing that she liked the idea of Natsu as being her new friend.

Soon, the coffee was ready and Lucy happily got herself a mug of coffee before heading to her living room to look for her handbag. Slowly approaching her couch, there she sees that her bag was placed on her coffee table with a small note under it.

"What's this?" She utters as she sat down on her couch and exchanged her mug of coffee for the note on the table. Looking at the note closely, her smile began to form once again as she repeatedly read the note.

 _Have a good morning,_  
 _Luce._  
 _-ND_

"I am now…" Lucy answers as she felt her cheeks warm up, knowing how thoughtful Natsu's message was for her. Suddenly feeling ecstatic, she grabbed her bag and looks for her phone. Taking out her mobile, she sees that her assistant has texted her, Levy gave a missed call, and Mirajane gave both a missed call and message. However, all of those were ignored when she just exited those notifications and went straight to her contacts app and looked for Natsu's number.

When his number came up, Lucy was about to press the call button when she suddenly hesitated, "Wait, maybe Natsu is in the office doing some work…" Lucy unconsciously bit her lower lip as she tried to weigh her choices, "It will be just a short call…" Lucy says trying to convince herself, "But he might be busy…  
"No-no-no…this will be just less than a minute…but then again…AHHH!" Lucy then throws her phone to the coffee table as she fumed in annoyance, "Why can't he be the first to text or call?! Does it always have to be me?!" Lucy then drops her back to the couch as she crosses her arms under her chest and starts to glare at her phone. When minutes past and nothing happens to her phone despite the wish that a text or call would come, she ended up sighing as she wearily reaches over her phone.

Staring at her phone wallpaper, she furtively hopes that Natsu would at least call her but as minutes went by with no calls coming, she exasperatedly sighs as she drops her hands to her lap. Biting her lips, she continuously stares at the screen while she contemplated if she should just call him and give up her pride. Soon enough, she pressed the contacts app and called Natsu's number.

As she places her phone to her ear, she was surprised to hear that the line was busy at the moment. Pulling her phone away, she madly glared at it and irritatedly said, "Huh! Unbelievable! You won't call me but you call other people?!"

Lucy furiously presses the end call then throws her phone to the couch as she crosses her arms again. Glancing at her phone, she says, "I can't believe that he wouldn't even check on me after giving a sweet note…I mean if he cares, he would call at least right?"

At that instant, instead of a person answering her, her phone did as it rings. Without control, Lucy leaped in her couch and quickly grabs her phone to answer the call, hoping it would be the person she was wishing to call.

"Hello?" Lucy beams as she accepts the call  
 _"Luce?"_ a man's voice spoke, which made Lucy even happier  
"Natsu?" Lucy replies with an octave higher in her voice  
 _"Uh, yeah…Hey, are you alright?"_ Natsu concerningly asks  
"Yes! Of course," Lucy helplessly smiles to herself as she hears how Natsu was concerned about her, "And you?" She asks back  
 _"Yeah, I'm good too…are you sure you're okay? You sound weird…Well, you always sound weird but today you sound weirder…"_ Natsu said and this made Lucy drop her smile after being called weird again  
"Excuse me? F.Y.I., I do not sound weird. People actually say my voice sound so sweet that they could fall in love with it," Lucy then proudly smiles to herself but quickly fades when she hears the man chuckle at the other end of the call  
 _"Who said that? Damn, whoever that is, is one prankster"_ Natsu said with amusement in his voice  
"Shut up!" Lucy scowls despite knowing Natsu was just teasing, "Tsk, why'd you call?" Lucy annoyingly asks  
 _"Call?"_ Natsu suddenly sounded surprised, like he was caught red-handed and this made Lucy raise her brow, _"Well…uh…ju-just felt like I-I needed to check on you…after what happened last night…"_

Slowly, a genuine smile appeared on Lucy's face as she looked down to her lap and saw her fingers fumble with the hem of her blouse, "I'm good…thanks for the concern…" Lucy replies before looking back up and ends her gaze to her open curtains, "Are you busy?" Lucy suddenly asks  
 _"Me? Not really…I actually just finished my jogging since it's my rest day,"_ Natsu answers, and this made Lucy smirk all of a sudden, "Oh, is that so…" tapping her chin, Lucy then relaxes her back and crosses her legs as she continued, "Well, then I guess you have the time to come to my unit…"  
 _"Why?"_ Natsu curiously asked  
"Well, isn't that what boyfriends do? Come and visit their girlfriend?" Lucy teasingly asks as she smiles to herself inwardly _  
"Wait, are you saying that there are media in your building? Are you being watched by some paparazzi or something? You should sue them!"_ Natsu shouts in alarm thinking that the blonde was actually being stalked  
"May~be…" Lucy teased, assuming that Natsu would be concerned, "Why don't you just come over and scare them off,"  
 _"I'm coming over,"_ Natsu sternly said before dropping the call

When the call ended, Lucy still had a smile on her face. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she giddily hugs her phone to her chest and mumbles, "He's coming over…oh, my god, he's coming!" and with that, Lucy dashes out of her seat to head back to her bedroom to start changing in her home clothes. Within a few minutes, Lucy was back at her living room, wearing a peach tank top with a faded denim shorts.

"Okay, when he gets here…what should we do?" Lucy asks herself as she looks around her living room. When her gaze ends at her curtains, she suddenly claps and leaps in her position as she says, "I know now!" then runs off to her laundry area and rampages her cabinets. As she searches the cabinet, she mumbles to herself, "No wonder I have been staring at my curtains since I woke up," Lucy then giggles at the thought then soon she finds the bag she is looking for.

Pulling out a plastic bag, she drags it out to her living room before she begins to untie the knot of the bag. It revealed a teal blue curtain, which she has bought in the province of Medallion, years ago when she had a shooting before. Ever since she has wanted to change her beige curtains to a different color but then she never really had the time to make some rearrangement. But now that she has a break from work, she decides to start this change.

So, happily pulling out the curtains out of the plastic, Lucy laid the teal curtains to the floor to give a short admiration for the new curtains that she will be putting up, "Ah! This will be cooling in the eyes…" Lucy said as she lovingly admires the curtain. Soon then, she walks up to her dining room and took a stool to climb over so that she could start unhooking her beige curtains.

Slowly but surely, Lucy was able to take out the hoop rings of her curtains to the curtain rods when suddenly her door opens. Startled at the sudden opening of her door, Lucy yelped in surprise and her stool started to wobble, "Ahhhh!" Lucy screeches as she felt the stool wobble. As a reaction, she tries to stabilize herself by pulling the curtains to pull her up but then the stool loses its balance and was now falling down. Unable to hold her up, the remaining of the curtains slips out of the curtain rod making Lucy follow after the stool, "Ahhhh!" Lucy shouts even louder knowing that anytime soon she would hit the floor. When suddenly,

"Ooff!" a manly voice came to Lucy's ears. The feeling of falling off the stool made Lucy shut her eyes and let the curtain draped over her. But when she felt like she was no longer falling, she opened her eyes first and glanced around. Seeing herself under the beige curtains, she shakily pulled the curtains off of her and instantly she sees pink hair and a very concerned look from a man.

"Are you okay Luce?" Natsu worriedly asks as he searched all over her face for any bruise  
"Me?" Lucy speechlessly asks back while pointing to herself, "Didn't I die or something? Why is the place so bright? Am I in heaven?" Lucy mumbles while keeping her gaze at the man carrying her. Instead of answering the questions of the blonde, Natsu let himself laugh, throwing his head backward before glancing at the blonde actress again, "Okay, you're good…" Natsu says with a grin on his face.

When he is about to put Lucy down, the blonde wraps her arms around the neck of the pinkette and nervously asks, "Am I really? How did you know?"  
Chuckling at the worried look Lucy was giving, big brown eyes and almost pouting lips, Natsu found the blonde cute. So letting oneself stare at the blonde for a moment, he then answers, "Well because you're back to yourself…your back to being the overly dramatic actress," Natsu then lowers down his arms as he slowly let Lucy's feet touch the ground. With what Natsu said, Lucy then gasps at the pinkette as she let the man lower her down.

When Lucy was standing by herself, she shakily stepped back but kept her arms rested on the shoulder of the taller man, "I am not dramatic! You never know that I might have some concussion due to the fall, or-or internal bleeding!" Just laughing at her, Natsu tried to contain his amusement with the actress but the blonde was just too much adorable. Gently taking the hands of the blonde, Natsu gave it a soft squeeze before leaning his face close to the blonde, he said, "I doubt that…" and with that Lucy pouts at the man.

Standing up straight, he steps back from the blonde and glances at the bare ceiling to floor window. Inspecting the view, Natsu didn't seem to find anything peculiar. But then again, media were a good player of hide-and-seek. So, coming closer to the glass window, he looked around the place again yet still found nothing odd. Sighing, Natsu then shoves his hands to his black Nike sweatpants before turning around to look at the blonde.

"No media seems to be around…" Natsu states tilting his head in confusion, "I thought you said there are some paparazzi stalking you,"  
"No, I didn't…I said _maybe_ ," Lucy then smiles triumphantly as she crosses her arms under her bust. But her smile quickly falters when Natsu shook his head and started walking away from the glass window and walked past her, "Hey, where are you going?" Lucy alarmingly questions as she followed the descending figure  
"I'm going home…" Natsu said turning around to face the blonde again, "I guess there are no stalker media around to scare off"  
"Oh…" Lucy then depletes but immediately perks up again as she thought of a new reason to make the pinkette stay, "Then help me instead!"  
"Help you? with what?" Natsu asks in perplex  
"The curtains!" Lucy then skips towards the laid out curtain and pulls it a bit to show the pink-haired man, "Since I just fell from the stool, I don't think I will able to stand over that again. I need to put this up for my own privacy, so could you do it for me?" Lucy then drops the curtains as she flowingly walks towards Natsu with her hands behind her back, secretly crossing her fingers.

"Do I really have too? I mean, can't you just call someone else?" Natsu asks, slightly taken aback with how Lucy was looking at him. The blonde was giving a look of innocence but at the same time, she was like teasing him to take the sweet and dangerous bait. Suddenly feeling his dry throat, Natsu tried to swallow as he kept his attention to the blonde.

"F-fine…" Natsu replies defeatedly, making Lucy leap in her position to wrap her arms around the neck of the man and pull him down a bit due to their height difference.  
"Thanks," Lucy sweetly mumbles before pulling away to grab the new curtains again. Soughing, Natsu shook his head as he thought that he couldn't say no to the woman no matter how much sometimes he finds her tiring to be with or annoying with her endless rants about anything.

"Alright, did you hook the curtains already?" Natsu asks without looking at the blonde for he went over to the stool to stand it up again  
"Nope," Lucy replies, popping the letter 'p'. Abruptly looking back at the blonde, Natsu widens his eyes as he answers, "What? I thought…"  
"Well, you thought wrong…come on, help me," Lucy then sits down to the floor as she reached over for the hoop rings and start placing it to her new curtains. Despite the instruction of the blonde to help, Natsu just sat down at the other end of the curtain and patiently waiting for Lucy to finish.

"So, what made you decide to change your curtains?" Natsu starts to make a new conversation  
"I don't know. I just felt like changing the beige curtains," Lucy then gives a short glance to the man before looking down again to her task, "And besides, I have had that color for two years already and seeing it every day makes my life a little boring. I guess, I just want to add some color in my life…like the way you do," Lucy ends before slowly looking up at the stunned man. Natsu didn't expect the sudden compliment and in all honesty, he was quite confused to what Lucy meant by him giving color to her life. So he thought to hide his growing curiosity and surprise by quickly showing his grinning face and changing the topic, "Ha, are you saying Loke never made your life exciting?"  
Softly smiling, Lucy shook her head as she continued her work, "Believe it or not, no. He appears to be the exciting one, the explorer, the risk taker…but the truth is he likes sticking to the stereotypical dates, traditional hobbies…"  
"Huh…" Natsu sighs, feeling skeptical about Loke, "He always looked like he's into things that are quite risky. I guess it's all thanks to his charms…" Natsu then shrugs before he notices Lucy chuckling at his comment, "What, it's true…" he defends  
"I know," Lucy said, trying to stifle her laughter, "I can't believe I actually fell for his charms. I mean, from the start I knew Loke was a ladies' man but I thought, if we dated, he'd stop…" Lucy's smile moments ago finally disappeared as she stops doing the hoop rings and just fumbled with the curtains, "I guess I'll never be enough,"  
"Who said so?" Natsu immediately asks since he did not like where Lucy was heading to. As the blonde looks up, surprised to the man, Lucy was just left baffled unable to make any reply. Natsu, meanwhile, just kept his gaze at the brown-eyed woman. He wasn't really expecting any reply, heck, he's even thinking Lucy would change the topic. It was just that, hearing the words of Lucy, Natsu couldn't help but feel somehow mad that she would think like that because he knows that Lucy was a great woman. He might not have known her for so long, but he knows that at this point, he has seen her at her best and worst. And he couldn't deny that Lucy was indeed one unique woman.

"Luce, you're a great girl…Loke's just a jerk to cheat on you," Natsu said before he stood up and sat next to the blonde to reach over for the hoop rings to start what Lucy was doing moments ago. With the way Lucy was staring at him, he decided to help and made it as an excuse to avoid eye contact because he felt like he was embarrassing himself already. Lucy still didn't reply but her eyes were following Natsu and watched him struggle with opening the hoop ring. Gently taking the hoop from him, Lucy softly said, "Thanks Natsu…I'm happy to hear that from you,"  
Looking up at the blonde, Natsu then lets himself show his signature grin as he replies, "Of course! Who wouldn't think you are?"

Instead of replying back, Lucy just smiled at the man before leaning her head on his shoulder. With Lucy's gesture, Natsu was then taken by surprise and before he could understand what was happening, Lucy sat up straight again and claps her hand.

"OK! All done," Lucy happily glances at the pinkette, "Now, put this up!" and with that, she stands up and tries to pull Natsu along. When the two were back to their feet, Lucy picks up the curtain and shoves it to Natsu as she slightly pushes the pinkette to the stool.

"Come on, the sun is getting too hot and the house will be too warm…" Lucy said nudging Natsu to start climbing the stool. Throwing the handed curtains far enough, away from the stool to keep it out from being stuck, Natsu said, "Alright-alright…you know sometimes I wonder if you're bipolar. I mean, one moment your like about to cry, then next thing your happy and pushy," Natsu then turns to look at Lucy, who was surprised with his sudden turn, "Are you sure your not sick?"  
"I'm not!" Lucy then slaps Natsu to his arm, making him rub it due to its soreness  
"OK! Goodness, such a violent woman…" Natsu mumbles to himself as he turns to climb up the stool  
"What did you say?!" Lucy retorts back as she plants her hands to her hips while watching Natsu step up the stool  
"Nothing! Just pass me the curtains," Natsu then extended his hand as he waited for Lucy to hand over the curtains  
"Hmp!" Lucy then pouts as she turns around to pick up the whole curtain. As she squats down to gather the whole cloth, Natsu suddenly said, "The suns really up…I'm sweating like hell already,"  
"Well who wouldn't sweat so much if you're wearing a sweatshirt with a scarf on?" Lucy replies

As Lucy stands up and turns to hand over to Natsu the curtains, time suddenly slowed down for her. It felt like it did when she steadily watched Natsu take off his sweatshirt. It revealed his toned abs, chiseled chest, and sweaty and tanned body. His body was like glistening under the sun rays that hit his body and Lucy suddenly felt hot all over her body. Unconsciously, Lucy bit her lower lip as she felt the desire to run her hands down the sweaty chest.

"Oi, Luce!"

Lucy jolted as she snaps out of daze after hearing his voice. As a reaction, she turns around to hide her face, knowing that she resembles a tomato already. And the fact that she realized that she had the sudden urge to run her hands and feel Natsu's body, Lucy couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It was too early to fantasize about a man.

"Luce!" Natsu calls again, "Oi, are you going to hand that over or not?"  
"I will, I will! Just wait for a moment…" Lucy trails off, trying to calm down her heart, "My eyes just burned with the sunlight…"  
"Did the sunlight really burn your eyes or did my body amaze you too much?" Natsu teased, knowing how Lucy watched him take off his sweatshirt and how her eyes looked like she was devouring him. Hearing the tease of the pinkette, Lucy's blush even reddened, now that she knows that Natsu actually saw her ogling him. Despite being red-handed, she decided she wouldn't let the man forever tease her. So, she countered back as she turns, "What?!" Lucy shouts in astonishment, "Me? Be amazed in your body?!" Lucy then gave a surprised look despite her mind saying, _Yes, I was really stunned with your amazing body physique…_

Laughing at the comment of the man, Lucy holds her guts, pretending that this was hilarious when all her mind was saying, _Oh my god, his body is too much for me…should I get him a towel and help him wipe his sweat…oh my goodness…_

"Well yeah…" Natsu suddenly felt embarrassed for assuming, "Not everyone has this toned body as mine…I mean, this is all because of workout and stuff…"  
"Yeah right," Lucy exclaims before tumbling in laughter again, "I've seen better body than yours!" Lucy then slaps her thighs as she continued to laugh, _Oh I'm such a liar…If there is one body I found the hottest and most arousing…it's yours Natsu, believe me! Oh my, did I just say he arouses me? Ahhh! I'm so shameful…_

Lucy then grips her thighs before she gives another slap to it and stands up straight. Wiping her eyes, she finally calmed down and smiled at the man before her, "You made me laugh…thanks for the good joke,"  
"Tsk! whatever…" Natsu then turns to look away before extending his hand backward to ask for the curtains without looking at the blonde. He was too embarrassed already and Lucy was grateful enough that they have cut their eye contact because she could feel her heart popping anytime soon.

Slowly handing the curtain, Lucy couldn't help but glance up and see how Natsu's back are flexed as his arms were extended backward. She knew now for a fact that Natsu has a godly body.

"Oi, Luce, where is it?" He asks waggling his hand to search for the curtain. Panicking that she might get caught again, Lucy abruptly places the curtain ends to Natsu's hand and soon it was being hoisted upward. Stepping back a bit to see how Natsu would do it, she almost tumbled over the other end of the curtain when Natsu suddenly instructed her, "Luce, bring the other end in front of me so that it wouldn't be too hard to pull it up. This thing is quite heavy…"  
"I thought you were strong…" Lucy softly mumbles as she picks up the end of the curtain to place it in front of Natsu. Thinking she was not heard, she kept her gaze down to her feet, making sure she wouldn't trip but to her dismay, Natsu heard her, "I am strong and this is not heavy for me. I'm just concerned for you…"  
"Me? Why?" Lucy then looks up and suddenly realizes her spot. She was right below him, in view of his glorious body and he was looking down at her with concern  
"I need you to stay there," Natsu says and Lucy thought, _Yes, I'd love to stay right here_ , "You don't have to carry the curtains, just make sure that the next hoop would be passed on to me, OK?"

Natsu then waited for Lucy to reply but then the blonde was just staring at him as if she was daydreaming. And so, to snap the woman out of her fantasy, he snaps his fingers in front of the blonde and immediately made her fall out of her daze, "Okay?" He repeats  
"Y-yeah, got it…" Lucy replies looking down to her feet now

As Natsu and Lucy did the curtains, the two just kept silent. Natsu was focused on placing all the hoop rings to the curtain rods, while Lucy was struggling not to look up because the view she would see is something she has now considered sinful. But every time Natsu would cuss, Lucy would look up and she would see the frustration in Natsu's face. But when he starts smiling, Lucy's eyes would begin to trail down his body and she would snap at herself for being such a pervert. The silence went on, and Lucy was already getting tired standing, while Natsu's arms were getting numb.

Letting himself rest, he drops his arms and squats down to have the same eye level as Lucy. When Lucy was taken by surprise to the sudden view, she quickly saw the smile of the pinkette, "Can we rest a bit? Your curtains are so long and heavy, plus the fact that the hoop rings would always fall off, it's annoying that I have to do the job all by myself…"  
Sheepishly smiling, Lucy sweetly replies, "Sorry…do you want some water?" Lucy was then about to run off when Natsu grabbed her arm and made her stop. Looking back at the man, Lucy questioned him and just waited for him to speak up, "Stay, this won't take long…I just need to rest my arms," then Natsu drops himself to the stool and sat down.

Unconsciously, Lucy steps forward and stood in between Natsu's thighs. Natsu, on the other hand, didn't notice their sudden short distance as he just kept his gaze at the woman's eyes. Soon, Lucy lifted her hands and gently dabs her fingers to his sweat on his face. Lucy was too focused on wiping his sweat that she didn't notice Natsu was intently staring at her. When she finished, she smiled at the man and said, "It's the least I can do…"  
"…thanks," Natsu finally answers after admiring the woman in front of him. He was about to smile back when Lucy started brushing off some of his stray hair that tries to cover his eyes. Feeling so much affection from the blonde, Natsu suddenly leaned back his head and cleared his throat as he prompts one leg to the stool, "I uh…better get this done," and with that, he stood back up again on the stool. As for Lucy, she immediately steps back and takes the hanging curtain to help the man. Despite her calm façade, she felt her heart racing again and this time, she was really bothered by the rapid beat of her heart.

Soon enough, Natsu finished and the whole living room looked different to Lucy. Happily jumping in her place, Lucy continuously thank the man for helping her out, and Natsu didn't mind the gratitude because it just felt right to help the woman. When he has stepped down from the stool and walked away from the curtains, he was amazed how a simple teal blue curtain changes the whole room and makes it feel like it was a new place, a place that really resembled the blonde.

"Thank you so much, Natsu!" Lucy twirls around to face the pinkette, "I like my new living room, it feels alive all of a sudden,"  
"I know and it suits you..." Natsu said as he gently nudges the arm of the blonde who just laughed at his gesture  
"Thanks," Lucy says before she turns to face her curtains again and walk up to her window. Slightly opening the curtains, Lucy looked out Magnolia city. Sighing in content, she said, "I love this city..."  
"Me too," Natsu adds as he walks up to the blonde. As he was about to step to the side to widen more the curtains to view Magnolia as well, he unexpectedly tripped over his discarded sweatshirt. Right when he was falling forward, Lucy suddenly turns and was stunned to see that Natsu was falling towards her.

Lucy's back hits the window as she tried to avoid being tumbled over by the man. She was immediately trapped by Natsu when he caged her with his arms to stop himself from crushing her. But unexpectedly again, Natsu's hands slips in the glass, making him fold his elbow, and now his distance to Lucy was overly short. Their faces were half inches away and breaths were fanning each other.

Their eyes were locked at each other, trying to read one another's' thoughts about what was happening. The two were afraid to make any movement, scared that it would just cause them to brush their lips to one another. But not thinking thoroughly, Natsu began to speak, "Sorry," and their lips brushes making Lucy hold her breath after feeling Natsu's lips move against hers.  
"Shit, did our lips just touch?" Natsu continued to speak and Lucy was growing impatient  
"What do you think?!" She shouts and this made their lips, even more touch, "ump!" Lucy shrieks inwardly as she felt, even more, the warm sensation  
"Sorry...do you mind pushing me? My foot is stuck and my forearms are starting to slip again..." Natsu said trying to ignore how their lips would continuously brush one another. Soon, Lucy's hand slowly run up Natsu's chest and ends to his pectorals.

"I'm not trying to be a pervert here, so don't you dare tease me..." Lucy mumbles when she noticed the way Natsu was looking at her. Soon enough, Natsu laughed, tilting his head to the side. As Lucy was about to push him backward, Natsu suddenly notices a flash coming from the back of the blonde. And so, squinting his eyes, he suddenly realized those flashes were coming from a camera. And that is when it hits him that he and Lucy were being taken a photo my some paparazzi.

Without warning, as Lucy was halfway pushing Natsu, he took the opportunity to slide his arms to the back of the blonde and turn them so that he would be the one against the window so that he could block the blonde.

"Kyaa!" Lucy yelps in surprise as she and Natsu switched position, "What are you doing?!" Lucy then slaps the man by his arm but Natsu just ignored it as he says, "There are some camera peps at the other building...I think they caught us in our position awhile ago..."

Gasping, Lucy brings her hands to her lips as she widens her eyes, "Oh my...do you think they would write that we were making out or worst, having sex?", slowly the cheeks of the blonde lighten with a dust of pink as she realized what she said.

Completely ignoring the words of the blonde, and just groaned with the dramatic mind of the blonde, Natsu runs down his hands to his face before he pushes himself off the window to close the ajarred curtains. Stepping away from the window, he pulls Lucy back to the living room then sarcastically said, "You are one drama queen...you know that?"

"I'm not overreacting!" Lucy defends, but then the man just gave her a skeptical look. Getting annoyed with the pinkette, Lucy added, "Trust me, media would make up any story about actors. Now they've seen me with a guy in _my_ condo, they could make up any story they want,"

"Well, isn't that what you want? To make the media make a story that would make people believe you're over with Loke?" Natsu asks as he crosses his arms over his chest while he watched the blonde pull up her hair and tie it in a bun  
"Well yes, but I'm keeping an image of a conservative relationship...so, no, I don't like media to make up a story about me making out with a guy I'm dating..." Lucy then walks out on Natsu as she headed to her bedroom. When the blonde disappeared inside, Natsu was left dumbfounded as he scratches the back of his head.

With the way the blonde reacted, Natsu doesn't know if he was in great trouble. But more than that, he has been feeling confused with how Lucy was acting around him. He knows that Lucy could be sweet and be a she-devil if she wanted to be but right now, she is in between the two kinds of personality.

"What is up with this woman? She has been saying and acting weird since this morning. First, telling me that I add color to her life, then she would look at me like she'll devour me…then now she's saying she wants a conservative relationship with a guy she's dating? Is she pertaining with me?" Natsu then just sighs before he picks up his sweatshirt to wear it again, knowing now that maybe it was time to leave.

"I think should just get going…Lucy might not be feeling well,"

Since Natsu didn't know if Lucy was mad at him because the woman technically just walked out on him, he decides it was time to go home. He one by one took his wallet, cellphone, and keys on the coffee table when suddenly a sound of a door opening was heard. So looking ahead, Natsu was surprised to see Lucy has changed into a white v-neck shirt, black and pink floral kimonos with the same denim shorts she wore that morning. She was wearing a white birko flor sandals and a small brown satchel bag hung on her shoulder. Curious to the new get up of the blonde, Natsu asks, "Where are you going?"

"We have to step out of the condo now..." Lucy states not directly answering the question of the pinkette. When Lucy walked pass him, Natsu immediately shoves his belongings to his sweatpants' pockets and runs after the leaving blonde.

Soon, the two were out of the building and was walking the streets of Magnolia, heading south. As Natsu looked around, he started wondering what the real plan of the blonde actress was. So again, he asked, "Can you tell me where we are going?"

Lucy glances at Natsu with a smile on her face, which takes the man by surprise thinking that she was mad. Seeing how stunned the man was, Lucy didn't stop herself from chuckling and like it was a habit she then wraps her arms to Natsu's bicep.

"Don't worry Dragneel, I'm not mad..." Lucy then smiles wider, "I just had to act quickly and make a diversion...I don't want the paparazzi to think we are having a steamy morning,"  
"Umm...OK?" Natsu confusingly stares at the blonde woman, "So...this is just a short walk?"  
"Nope, we're heading to the grocery!" Lucy cheers before she starts pulling Natsu to a fast pace.

 **To be continued...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Strolling slowly the alleyways of the grocery, Natsu curiously watches Lucy tapping her finger to her chin while keeping her attention to the stalls they were passing by. He couldn't fully understand what Lucy was doing besides from the fact that she was buying goods he didn't know Lucy needed. As he continues to push the cart and follow Lucy behind, he suddenly snaps out of his thoughts when he hears the blonde say, "What do you prefer, beef steak or sweet and sour pork?" Lucy then turns to face him and then stop at her spot

Tilting his head in confusion, Natsu stood up straight and asks back instead of answering, "Does it really matter what I prefer?"  
"Yeah," Lucy then furrows her brow at the man as she continues, "Why do you have that tone with me?"  
"What tone?" Natsu suddenly stiffens as if he was being reprimanded  
"That tone," Lucy points out before she crosses her arms over her chest, "Like your annoyed and bored,"  
"No, I'm not…" Natsu denies, which only made Lucy raise her brows even more and look at him skeptically, "Alright fine. So answer my question now,"  
"What question?" Natsu confusingly asks and this made Lucy groan in annoyance. As Lucy rolls her eyes and turns away from him, she mumbles to herself, "Why have I thought of cooking some meal for you when you're going to be this annoying?"

As Natsu hears the word 'meal', his eyes began to sparkle and thought of a delicious food, then instantly he remembers the question of the blonde. So running up to the woman, Natsu quickly clarifies and asks, "Did I hear it right? You plan to cook some meal for me?"

Glaring at the man next to her, Lucy kept her mouth shut as she tries to think if she was going to answer the pinkette, whom she has considered annoying and childish. When Natsu began to do his cute puppy eyes, she nearly choked on her own spit. So quickly looking away, she puffed and said, "Well, I changed my mind!"  
"What?! No!" Natsu then stops pushing the cart and ran in front of her and took her hands, "Please…I'd be honored to have a meal made by the famous Lucy Heartfilia" Natsu then grins at Lucy who couldn't help but feel her cheeks blush. As they stayed longer like that, Lucy began to feel her heart pump faster and so she pulls her hand away as she side steps and walks away saying, "I'm Lucy Ashley, remember?"  
"Alright, Lucy Ashley," Natsu said then he attempts to run after the blonde but remembers the cart and runs back for it and quickly pushes it.

When he finally caught up to the blonde, he was about to plead once again to the blonde when suddenly his name was called, making him stop from his stride. As he turns around to face the person who has called him, Lucy turns as well to look at the person. The two sees a middle-aged woman walking towards them, caring a handbag in her arm and a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi Natsu," the woman greets again as she finally stood before the pink-haired president  
"Hello...Mrs. Kuhuwara," Natsu then slowly bows his head in respect but his face showed confusion and surprise to see the older woman. When he lifts his head, he curiously asks her, "What are you doing here Mrs. Kuhuwara?"  
"Shopping, what else?" The middle-aged woman then began to laugh while covering her lips with her hand  
"I see..." Natsu then looked at the blonde who was confused about what was happening. As Lucy mentally asks the pinkette what was with the sudden greeting, Natsu just shook his head for he, himself, doesn't even understand why he's seeing and talking with Mrs. Kuhuwara, "Um...Are you grocery shopping as well? Because Luce and I are actually in the middle of shopping for ourselves,"  
"Ahh," Mrs. Kuhuawara then looked at Lucy and let her eyes run over her form, making the blonde uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

With the way the elder woman was looking at her, Lucy unconsciously pulls down her shorts as if it would make her shorts look longer. She couldn't help but feel conscious with the way Mrs. Kuhuwara was looking at her. So, when she couldn't handle the unnerving stare, Lucy looked away and took a step to start hiding behind Natsu's back. Seeing Lucy stepped behind him, Natsu quickly cleared his throat to catch the attention of the black-haired middle-aged woman.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mrs. Kuhuwara?" Natsu then took a step forward to ensure that the attention of the woman was on him and that Lucy wouldn't be disturbed anymore  
"Well..." Mrs. Kuhuwara then leans to the side to get a glimpse of the blonde woman, who instantly screeches when she saw the woman peeked at Natsu's side, "I just wanted to see the woman whom you chose over my daughter,"

With that being said, Natsu and Lucy's brow began to rise and looked at the woman skeptically, wondering if Mrs. Kuhuwara was looking for a fight.

"I believe your daughter and I had only one date, which was not successful due to our opposite likes," Natsu then turns to stand next to the blonde and wrap his arm around the blonde woman's shoulder

"My daughter is very adorable and sweet. I don't see anything bad about that. So, I wonder," Mrs. Kuhuwara then looked at Lucy once again from head to toe, "If your choices of women are the frisky one," Mrs. Kuhuwara then ends her gaze at the face of the blonde as if she was trying to demean the blonde actress  
"Mrs. Kuhuwara," Lucy suddenly spoke, not an ounce liking the way she is being belittled, "I hope your not trying to look me down," Lucy then took a step forward, making Natsu nervous knowing that Mrs. Kuhuwara is an acquaintance of his parents and if Lucy challenged the woman, he'd be in big trouble  
"I believe we haven't met properly yet," Lucy then extends her hand, which the middle-aged-woman just looked at, "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Layla and Jude Heartfilia," she then witnesses the widening of the eyes of the woman, "Oh wait, maybe you're not familiar with them. My parents own the Heartfilia Konzern-"  
"I know them!" The woman suddenly exclaims, shutting her eyes in annoyance while Lucy grinned in satisfaction after receiving the reaction she wanted. When Mrs. Kuhuwara opens her eyes once again but with a glare at the blonde, she attempts to retort back but was beaten by Natsu when he spoke, "Oh Mrs. Kuhuwara, we don't mean to be rude..." Natsu then gave a gentle smile but behind those smile, it was a smile of triumph after annoying the woman  
"You," Mrs. Kuhuwara then points at the pinkette, "You'll regret dumping my daughter over this..." She then looked at the blonde, trying to come up with a mean insult while Lucy just gave a disinterested look at the woman, "Petty heiress turned into an actress!"  
"I doubt that Mrs. Kuhuwara because if there is one thing Lucy have that your daughter doesn't, it's the guts to stand up against you," Natsu then grinned at the middle-aged woman before he takes the hand of the blonde and entwines their hand before walking away from the place.

* * *

Red hair sways as a scarlet-haired woman walks the corridor of the Belserion Security Agency building and as she walks the hallway she couldn't help but pull down her black pencil skirt a bit before she stops in front of a door that has a door plaque on it. Clearing her throat, the redhead brought her chin up before she starts to knock on the door.

 _Tok! Tok! Tok!_

"Ms. Eileen Belserion," the red-head then pauses for a second before she continues, "It's me, Erza Scarlet"

 _"Come in,"_ a feminine voice answers from the other side of the door, and there Erza opens the door to reveal a woman that looked nearly like her. As she enters the room, she held a professional stance with no expression on her face as she waited for the woman behind a desk to look up at her.

When Eileen looked up, she gave a good stare at the red-haired woman before she gave a small smile to her. Dropping her back to her chair, Eileen then crosses her arms over her chest, "So, what brings my daughter to my office?"

"I didn't come here as your daughter but as an employee," Erza sternly answers back before she took a step forward to place down the folder she has brought with her, "That is the file you have been asking me," then she steps back and stood up straight while she kept her eyes on the woman who is her boss and biological mother.

"Don't tell me that you were offended when I told the Dragneels that you are not my daughter," Eileen then grins when she saw her daughter flinch a bit yet the expression of her daughter was still hushed, "I see..." She then stood up and walked to her daughter, "No matter how much you try to forget the feeling of being abandoned by your mother, you still feel those desires to be loved by a mother,"

"And it will not be coming from you," Erza unnervingly replies before she steps back and bows her head, "I should be heading now, Ms. Belserion," and with that, she turns around to leave when suddenly she was called once again.

Not daring to turn and look at her mother, Erza just stops in her spot as she waited for her mother to speak up, "Mrs. Dragneel is requesting an undercover investigator,"

With the mentioned name, Erza couldn't help but give attention to the topic so she slightly turns to give gesture that she was listening, and so, Eileen went on, "She wanted to know the background of this certain woman Natsu Dragneel is dating,"

And with that, Erza finally looks at the other scarlet-haired woman, with a confused expression, "Natsu? Since when did he start dating?"  
"Not my point of interest Ms. Scarlet so I don't know. I'm appointing you to do the task," Eileen then turns away to head back to her chair and continue what she was doing, leaving a younger red-haired woman in pure confusion  
"But I can't," Erza declines, taking a step forward towards the desk of her boss, "I'm Natsu's friend,"  
"So?" Eileen nonchalantly replies, "Oh come on Ms. Scarlet, I'm pretty sure you are capable of separating your personal life to your job,"  
Erza then was silent as she looks down to her heels, which was killing her feet some time now. When she hears the older scarlet woman chuckle, she looked up with pure confusion on her face, "Why me?" She asks  
"because things will be easier if Natsu knew nothing about being investigated," Eileen then smirks, "Also, a way for me to teach you backstabbing,"  
"What?" Erza baffled asks, not sure if she would feel disgusted with her mother's words  
"Leave," Eileen commands, but Erza couldn't move away from her spot as she still hoped to be given some explanation, "I said leave!" Eileen shouts as she slams her palm to her table, leaving Erza no choice but to take a step back and leave.

Once the door was closed, her mind began to run a mile as she thought of what she was tasked to do. She has to investigate Natsu once again. Just like the first time Natsu was in a real relationship, she was put into the task to know what Natsu and his ex-girlfriend used to do. The last time she was put in that situation, Natsu had hated her for meddling in things that she shouldn't have.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," mumbled Erza before she sighs and walks away from the office.

* * *

Natsu and Lucy continued to stroll around the supermarket despite the weird and unsuspected encounter with Mrs. Kuhuwara. When they walked out on the woman, the two had no idea where they were heading and they just knew that they had to leave.

When they left, Lucy barely noticed Natsu grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. So, when they knew that they were far enough from the annoying woman, she suddenly realized that her arm was swinging slightly. So, Lucy looked down to her hand and saw that her hand was entwined with Natsu, and quickly thought they were literally walking while holding hands.

Abruptly stopping from her tracks, Lucy suddenly stops Natsu from walking further, making the man stumble a bit backward. When Natsu composed himself, he threw a nasty look at the blonde as if to show his irritation from the sudden stop from walking. But the instant he saw the confused look of the blonde, his malicious look fades and confusion replaced.

"What?" Natsu shortly asks as his eyebrows rose in question  
"Hand," Lucy replies  
"What about the hand?" Natsu continues to ask back  
Sighing in frustration, Lucy raised their entwined hands and said, "Hand,"  
"Oh!" Natsu then pulls his hand away, dropping the hand of the blonde. When they were no longer holding hands, Lucy quickly walked away and continued her shopping for goods.

As Natsu watched Lucy walk away, he just sighs in defeat then pushes the cart forward. When he was able to catch up to the blonde, he began a small conversation, "You were badass back there," he states, making Lucy look back at him  
"Excuse me?" Lucy said, almost sounding she was offended  
"Hey, relax, it's a compliment..." Natsu then chuckles as he saw the blonde roll her eyes on him, "You were really tough awhile ago," He shortly adds  
"Yeah right," Lucy scoffs as she recalls the incident  
"No, it's true! I mean, Mrs. Kuhuwara was put into her place right when you spoke," Natsu then grins until Lucy looked back at him and chuckled at his face  
"Would you please stop," Lucy warns but the man just chuckled back at her, "I was not trying to embarrass her. I was just giving my opinion,"  
"Oh come on," Natsu then shoulder bumped the blonde who chuckled at his actions, "You were fiery out there. I'm Lucy Heartfilia! Daughter of Layla and Jude Heartfilia! Oh, wait! Maybe you're-" Natsu teases, repeating the words of the blonde with his big voice but then he was cut short when he was gently pushed by the blonde while she was laughing, "Stop!"  
Lucy kept on laughing as she realized what she did back there. She really was trying to embarrass the woman. She thought, she should have felt guilty for being mean but the way Natsu was mimicking her, she couldn't help but laugh instead.

"You were badass," Natsu says again as he straightens his back while looking at the continuous laughing blonde. When he saw that Lucy was laughing harder, he suddenly stopped and grabbed the wrist of the actress, making her stop from walking. He hoped to calm the blonde once he held her wrist but it seemed like Lucy didn't notice that she was even stopped by him. When Lucy continued to laugh, people started to look at them and Natsu was sweatdropping for the awkward situation. So, trying to cover up the weirdness of the blonde, which Natsu have thought that he has confirmed Lucy was weird, he started laughing as well then took a step closer at the blonde and wrap his arms around her.

Right when Natsu hugged her, Lucy slowly calms down until her laughter dies. When it did, Lucy curiously questioned why Natsu was hugging her. So she mumbles to the shoulder of the man, "What are you doing?"  
"Obviously, hugging you," Natsu whispers back to her neck  
"Uh, yes, I know but why are you hugging me?" Lucy irritably questions, then tries to step out of the embrace but Natsu tightens his hold and pulled Lucy back to his chest, "What the-! Natsu, get off!" Lucy angrily whispers as she tries to push the man in his stomach  
"Would you chill?" Natsu whispers back, not bothered at all by the push Lucy was making, "People were looking at you as if you were crazy,"  
"What?" Lucy then pulls her head away from his chest and surprisingly looked at the pinkette

Before Natsu could answer the woman, a voice suddenly spoke, making him and Lucy turn their heads towards the person who spoke.

"Aww, you look so in love! I wish I have a honey to hug as well!" A woman, wearing a uniform of the market and an apron, exclaims, before hugging herself and imagines cuddling with someone else.

"Wha-!" Lucy then pushed Natsu away from her, stumbling a little as she tries to catch her composure, "He-he," Lucy points to Natsu, stuttering, but then Natsu beats her in finishing a sentence

"Oh, thank you, Miss! My girlfriend is really not the PDA type," Natsu then takes a step closer to Lucy and drapes his arm over her shoulder to pull her close. As Lucy was pulled close to Natsu, he quickly hugs her again with his hand on her head. When Natsu heard Lucy whine, he chuckles at the whiny woman, making him ruffle her hair and successfully annoy the blonde even more.

"Oh! Would you like to taste our Hungarian Sausage? Here's a sample!" The staff then leans her tray to the pinkette, offering her product. Natsu was so tempted to get half of the sample but when he felt Lucy was trying to push him again, he back out and shook her head while he laughed, "Haha, no thanks miss. My girlfriend is pretty much transforming into a mons-ow!" Natsu then yelps when he felt a painful pressure on his foot, despite wearing rubber shoes.

When he looked down at the blonde, he saw the glare Lucy was giving to him. So, quickly, he pushes the head of the blonde back to his chest and laughed as he stepped away further from the market employee.

While Natsu kept his hold to the blonde, he guided her as he turns away from the staff and pushes the cart along. When they were quite far enough, Natsu stops the cart again and looked down to the woman he was embracing.

"How's that?" Natsu asks with a grin on his lips while the blonde looked up at him with a death glare  
"How's that?!" Lucy repeats with venom in her voice, as she pushes herself away from the pinkette, who just chuckled at her fury, "What were you thinking?!"  
"Luce, hold your horses, will ya? I was just trying to protect our public image as a couple," Natsu then mischievously smiles at the huffing blonde, who later on puffs in annoyance and turns away from the man  
"Hey!" Natsu chuckles first before he began to chase after the blonde. When he was walking next to the woman, he casually asks, "So, what are you planning to cook? Sweet and sour pork or beef steak?"  
Lucy then stops in her tracks as she gawked at the man as if she has been insulted. Not getting the point of her surprise, Natsu questions, confusingly, "What did I say wrong?"  
"What makes you think I will cook a meal for you?!" Lucy disbelievingly questions the man back but then Natsu was not taken aback at all because he saw one weak point in her argument  
"I didn't say you'd cook the meal for me... I just asked what food you would be cooking," Natsu then smirked at the baffled lady  
"Arrrgh!" Lucy growls before she sharply turns, making her golden hair slap the face of the man, who quickly backed away when nearly all of her hair tried to choke him. When recovered, he saw that Lucy was pushing the cart herself. So, Natsu chased the blonde once more  
"Hey, wait up!" He calls but was still ignored until he walked next to her  
"How about this..." Natsu starts yet Lucy didn't pay any attention to him as she continued to push the cart. So, Natsu grabbed the rails of the pushcart to help her but then Lucy pulled away and just walked with her arms crossed over her chest, "I'll cook for you the meal... What do you think?"  
Natsu then waits for Lucy to speak up but then, she still ignored him. And so, Natsu took the matter in hand seriously. He stopped the cart and blocked the way of the blonde.

As Lucy side steps to get away from Natsu, the man just copies the step of the woman to continuously block her. So, the moment Lucy shifts from one side to another which Natsu does too, Lucy finally huffs in annoyance as a response.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaims, making the pinkette grin  
"Finally! You spoke!" Natsu joked before he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the cart, making the blonde stumble. When they were back to their cart, Lucy tugged her hand but not strong enough to free her hand from Natsu's hold  
"What?!" Lucy bursts out along with a stomp of her foot

Instead of answering the angry blonde, Natsu gently taps the head of the blonde and watched the surprised look of the woman. Lucy was obviously trying to keep her anger obvious but the more Natsu patted her head, the more she was calming down.

"I'm sorry for anything I did that you didn't like," Natsu said, still patting the blonde locks of the woman. With his gentle voice, Lucy couldn't help but forgive him, but then again, Lucy didn't want to, so she looked away and pouted, "Whatever," she mutters, feeling her cheeks warming up when she realized Natsu was keeping his eyes on her with his gentle smile  
"Good enough," Natsu then stopped tapping her head but instead let his hand run down her hair then to her shoulder, where he gave her a gentle squeeze, "Ready to go home? I think we have everything we need,"  
"Really?" Lucy then looked at their cart and sees everything she needed for the meal she thought of cooking, "Oh," she sighs then Natsu grins  
"Yosh! Let's go!" And with that, Natsu grabs the wrist of the blonde as he pushed the cart towards the cashier counter. When Lucy was walking along, he let go of her wrist and grin instead at the blonde, which Lucy returned with a warm smile.

* * *

"What?!" Levy loudly exclaims as she looks up at her computer and her hands became still over her keyboard

 _"Levy, why are you panicking? I'm just asking if it's true that Lucy is dating Natsu?"_ A sweet and calm voice spoke over the mobile phone of Levy, which made her look down at the gadget and furrow her brows as she thought about what to say, "I'm not panicking," She denies but the woman on the other line just scoffed at her and replied, _"I know you, Levy,,"_  
"Oh yeah?" Levy challenged but quickly regretted it when the woman chuckled  
 _"Yeah. I was the one who discovered first about your secret nights with Gajeel-"_  
"Mira! What was your question again?" Levy immediately cuts off the woman as she recalls that time back in college when the woman caught her coming out of Gajeel's apartment, wearing only his hoodie.

Laughing at the behavior of the young historian, Mira just chuckled to herself before asks again, _"I was wondering if Lucy and Natsu are really a dating couple?"_

Levy silently thank the heavens when Mira drops the embarrassing story of her love life, but then again, still cursed internally at the question thrown again to her, "Yeah, I guess?"

Hearing the woman groan, Levy couldn't help but cringe in her poor answer, so she quickly adds, "I mean, is it bad if Lucy _is_ dating Natsu? Just look at Lucy, don't you think she looks in love?"

 _"Hmmm..."_ Mira, Lucy's manager, hums in thought, _"If you would think about it, it is true... she does look more in love than she was before,"_

And with that, Levy sighs in relief as she has finally escaped the lies she has to make. Snatching up the phone and turns off the loudspeaker, she quickly puts the mobile to her ear and speaks, "Mira, why is this topic a concern all of a sudden?"  
 _"It's not really much of a concern. It's just that I've been told by Lucy's team that she's out in public flaunting her date,"_ Mira then hums as she thinks and Levy waited for her to continue, _"Natsu is not some typical guy a woman could date. It requires Lucy to tell her real name. More media would want a story about her,"_

"Don't worry Mira, Lucy has handled that," Levy then relaxes to her chair as she crosses her legs, "In fact, Lucy has met Natsu's family"  
 _"Really? Why didn't she tell me?"_ Mira questions, more to herself than to Levy, _"I'm her manager and I know nothing of this,"_

Levy's eyes then became wide as she realized that she might be revealing too much information to the manager of the blonde actress. So, internally cursing herself, Levy, agitated in her seat as she tries to counter back, "Umm…Mira," Levy suddenly calls as she stops herself from moving around  
 _"Yeah?"_  
"Ummm…uhh…" Levy trails off as she couldn't think of anything to say to the white-haired manager  
 _"Levy, is there something I need to know?"_ Mira's voice became quite serious and Levy couldn't help but be more nervous because she was not quite a good liar  
"N-No-nothing!" Levy stutteringly exclaims as she holds her breath, "Um…you-you could…um, t-talk to Lucy…yeah, that would be good," Levy then internally cried as she was busted for such poor excuse and the way Mira replies, she knew she screwed up  
 _"Huh,"_ Mira sigh first before continuing, _"I think there is something I need to know. Thanks, Levy!"_ and with that, the call ends making Levy frantic to call up the blonde to give her some warning.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Levy panicky shouts as she fumbles with her mobile to call up the blonde.

* * *

Flashes of the camera were seen everywhere in the lobby as photographers and story-scoopers continuously bombard the front security to allow them to interview the blonde actress. The moment a paparazzi submitted a raw picture of Lucy and a shirtless man in her condo unit, to an entertainment news website, many of the news-scoopers went to the condominium building of the actress to get the story behind the photo. But unfortunately, security of the building has stopped the media in the lobby. Without knowing, Lucy and Natsu are on their way back to the condo towers as the media continued to plead or trick the security.

Lucy and Natsu were just entering the building when suddenly they heard loud commotion in front of them.

"So I'll be making you some swe-" Lucy suddenly stops talking as she and Natsu looked up at the huge crowd before them. At first, Lucy doesn't understand why there were many media at the lobby when she suddenly hears some paparazzi yell,

" _Can we just know who the person went to Lucy's unit? Who is her visitor?!"_ A news-scooper asks as he shoves a recorder tape to the receptionist  
 _"Can you just confirm if it's Dragneel upstairs?"_ Another media person questions despite being at the back of the media  
 _"Is it Dragneel or De Leon?!"_ A third reporter asks, trying to get in front of the crowd

"Oh my god…" Lucy wearily states as she eyes all the frantic media trying to get a scoop. Feeling rattled with the way the media was crowding the poor receptionist and the security, Lucy couldn't help but step back, when suddenly she felt a warm hand hold her wrist. Looking down to her wrist, she sees Natsu holding it with concern in his eyes. Giving the man a confused look, she mentally asks what was he thinking until she realized what Natsu was trying to do. He was trying to help her escape.

When she and Natsu were taking a step back to exit the lobby, a mobile phone suddenly rang. With the loud ringtone, Lucy suddenly looked down to her other hand and sees her phone was blowing up. Eyes turning wide, Lucy frantically looked at her phone and sees Levy was calling but she decided to drop the call. When her finger couldn't turn down the call, she panicking looked back at the media crowd who were slowly turning their heads towards her direction.

Seeing the blonde actress, the whole attention of the media became hype, until one of them shouted, "It's Ashley!" Then they all ran towards the actress, making the security personnel curse out and try to outrun the media to protect the actress.

The moment Lucy saw the crowd running towards her, she unconsciously steps back but then she was tugged forward by Natsu. Unsure of what to do she just let the man lead her and all she knew was that they were heading for the back exit door of the building.

 _"Ms. Ashley!"_ A media shouts trying to chase the actress  
 _"Lucy! Wait! We need your statement!"_ Another media exclaims  
 _"Just a short message!"_ Third media yells trying to catch up to the other media people running after the actress

With the continuous pleas of the media, Lucy couldn't help but shriek in frustration as she and Natsu descend the stairs, heading towards the underground parking lot. After her frustrated shout, Natsu let Lucy run down first while making sure she wasn't going to trip.

"Luce, just keep running!" Natsu instructs Lucy, as he lifts his arms to cover his head from the flashes of cameras that the paparazzi uses while trying to chase them  
"Where do I go?!" Lucy shouts back  
"Just head for the underground!" Natsu loudly replies back

As the two chased after showbiz personalities continued to run down the stairs, Lucy finally found the door for the underground parking. The instant Lucy opened it, a few media were on stand by waiting for them, and so Natsu quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into another sprint.

As they ran, Natsu hurriedly pulls Lucy towards his red ford mustang. Automatically unlocking the doors to his car, Natsu instructed Lucy to enter the passenger side while he quickly throws the grocery bags at the back. When he was able to enter the car, he immediately starts the vehicle and soon speeds away while media tries to chase the car and steal some images of them together.

When Natsu was driving away, Lucy turns around and looks back at the left out, tired, and disappointed media. The actress began to smile and happily cheers, "We did it!" She exclaims as she grasps the shoulder of the pinkette and looked at him with glee in her eyes  
Looking back at Lucy, Natsu also had a smile on his face when he replied, "Yeah we did...I can't believe I just ran away from media like that..."  
"Well, get used to it..." Lucy said as she finally faces the road, relaxing her back, and sighs in content  
"Why?" Natsu questions, giving a quick glance at the blonde  
"Because, if you are dating a celebrity, expect media to be watching your back all the time..." Lucy then turns her head and smiled at the man, "And since you're not just any guy, expect media to be more inquisitive about you,"  
"Huh..." Natsu exhales then soon he began to chuckle, "And they all think our relationship is for real,"  
"Yeah...they can be hopeless for a scoop," Lucy then chuckles as Natsu follows after.

The drive went on silently but the two were comfortable with it. It took them 15 minutes before one of them began to start a conversation again.

"I thought you were jogging this morning?" Lucy suddenly questions, breaking the comfortable silence between them, as she looks at the man driving  
"I was," Natsu simply replies, not bothering to look back at the blonde  
"Then how come you have a car in the underground parking lot?" Lucy finally sat up and looked at the pinkette with more curiosity in her eyes  
"Obviously, I drove it to your condo building," Natsu answers but when silence greeted him after, he looked at the blonde and saw the confusion on her face, "Luce, I drove my car going to the park then I did my morning jog. When I finished, I was planning to drive back home when you suddenly called me. So, from the park, I drove to your place,"  
"Ahhh..." Lucy then nods as she looks away and took notice of the new neighborhood they have just entered, "Wait, where are we?" Lucy immediately looked back at the pinkette  
"Welcome to my neighborhood," Natsu states with a smile on his face before he looks at Lucy and saw her curiously taking in all the new view.

After they turn to the second corner, Natsu slowly drove down to an underground garage, which surprised the blonde all of a sudden.

"We're here?" Lucy asks, confusingly looks at Natsu  
"Yeah..." Natsu simply replies  
"Wait, but this doesn't look like the Manor," Lucy says as she tries to look for anything similar to the underground parking she saw before in the Dragneel Manor  
"Because it isn't," Natsu replies before he slightly chuckles  
"What?" Lucy surprised answers, "Then who's place is this?"  
"Mine," Natsu then presses on the brake gently and successful stops the car. As he turns off the engine, he looked at the blonde and studied her confused look.

"Come on," Natsu then opens his door and steps out of the vehicle. Once he did, he took the grocery bags from the back and went to Lucy's side. When he noticed that Lucy hasn't stepped out, he opened the passenger door and looked at the frozen blonde, "Are you going to sit there the whole day or what?"

Slowly looking at the pinkette, Lucy suddenly sighs before placing the strap of her bag to her shoulder and stepped out of the car. As she stood before the man, Natsu just grinned at her before grabbing her wrist and pull her along towards an elevator door.

When the small contraption reached the desired floor of the pinkette and opened automatically for them, Natsu took a step forward, tugging the blonde forward, and grinned at his simple yet quite messy place.

"Welcome to my house," Natsu then looked at Lucy who was awestruck at his home

 **To be continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Taking a step forward into the house, Natsu had his wide grin on his face. Feeling a little confident in showing his home, he warmly invites the blonde next to him as he says, "Welcome to my house," Natsu then pulls Lucy inside, who had a total confused look on her face. It was obvious to Lucy that she was not really sure why she would be standing inside the flat of the Dragneel president, but here she is standing before his personal elevator and glancing at his living room.

"Wow…" Lucy said as she stared at the place, taking slow steps forward, feeling very wary about being there **  
**"Impressed?" Natsu boosted himself as he grinned at the blonde woman, "I really tried my best to keep this place clean as possible…" Natsu then nods his head in agreement to himself **  
**"…by not living here" Lucy added as she smiled to herself first before she looks back at the pinkette who was suddenly gaped at her **  
**"…no…by..." Natsu then trails off again, which Lucy took it as a chance to tease the man again **  
**"hiring a maid?" Lucy then laughs as Natsu slightly turns red. Tapping the man by his shoulder, Lucy then takes a small walk towards his sofa to run her fingers across it, "Okay, fine…impressive"

Lucy then turns to look at Natsu with her raised brows. When she saw Natsu has relaxed down to her admission, she suddenly folds her arm over her chest, and she says, "But," **  
**"But what?" Natsu repeats with a curious look thrown to Lucy **  
**"Is there a reason for me to be here?" Lucy then took cautious steps towards the pinkette until she was standing before him, "Why'd bring me here?" **  
**"Does it really matter? Why, are you afraid to be with me here, _alone_?" Natsu states the last word to Lucy huskily as he leaned closer to the blonde. Noticing the short distance between them, Lucy quickly took a step back to give them space.

"What? No. Of course not…" Lucy then walks away from Natsu and heads to the couch to take a seat. As she settles down to the couch, she glanced at the pink-haired man again and casually said, "Why are you just standing there?"

With the question of the blonde, Natsu then chortles in response. He never knew Lucy was such a clingy woman, but he didn't mind, after all, Lucy was fun to tease. So, as he takes a step forward towards the couch he suddenly stops when Lucy said, "Why are you heading here? Shouldn't you head to the kitchen? You said were going to cook dinner for me..."

Perplexed by the statement of the woman, Natsu quickly halts in his steps. Of course, Lucy had to remember his deal with her, to cook dinner for her as a means to be forgiven for something he has done in the grocery store, which he doesn't remember. So, laughing at his weird thought that Lucy wanted to hang out for a moment before they let their stomachs decide, he quickly shook his head before he turns his heels to head towards the kitchen.

"Alright madam," Natsu then disappears into the kitchen, making Lucy finally sigh in relief.

When Natsu was no longer in sight and she sat alone on the couch, Lucy took it as a chance to look around once again. Lucy inspected every corner of his living room, and the more she does the more she feels weird. For some odd reason, when she saw his house, she instantly feels at home. And it's not right. Imagine, it's the first time Lucy ever steps into Natsu's house and right at the sight of his home, she feels warm and relaxed. It's like no one would be able to criticize her if she suddenly decides to wear the weirdest clothes she could ever wear.

Despite not being sure why she was feeling such emotion, she decided to just let it go and smile. After all, this feeling could only be once in a lifetime. So, standing up from the couch, she roamed around the place and looked at the things she could investigate at. The first thing she noticed was the scattered magazines and somehow she was feeling cautious about finding porn magazines. So, as she attempts to scan the types of magazines Natsu reads, she made sure to be alert.

Stacking up those reading materials, she suddenly realized these magazines were not actual magazines but rather some mangas. Chuckling a little, she picked up one and looked at the cover, "Who knew you read mangas?" she then smiled to herself before she puts the manga back and left it alone. Moving on to the next things Lucy could inspect, she walked around the table and notices the shelf. It wasn't a shelf full of books but rather filled with figurines and pictures.

As Lucy walks up to the shelf, she quickly noticed the collectibles that Natsu had. It was an amazing collection of dragons that had different colors. In total there were nine dragon figurines but the biggest figurine was a dark red scaled dragon that had a scar on his right eye.

"Oh look, this is cute…" Lucy then gently took the figurine and admired it. She slightly played with it by making it fly pretentiously before she chuckles to her childish antics. Holding carefully the figurine, she said to herself "I suppose a dragon could be cute right?" she then returns the figurine gently to the shelf before she glances at the kitchen to check if Natsu was looking at her. But Natsu wasn't in sight, and she continues to hear the clanging of pans, which only means Natsu was busy cooking.

"Well…let's move on to other things…" Lucy then walked away from the shelf but quickly stops and retracts her steps when she noticed the picture frames. At the same shelf, a few picture frames were displayed below the row of figurines. Smiling excitedly, she abruptly took one, in which it was a picture of Natsu when he was a little kid.

Laughing at the very innocent grin of the pinkette, sitting in an inflatable pool, wearing only his brief as his swimwear, Lucy couldn't help but grin back. It's very amusing to see the young pink-haired man. His smile never changed and she likes that kind of smile. So, feeling a little devious, she began to pull out her own phone and took a quick snap to the picture. She couldn't resist, Natsu as a kid was so cute. Once she was done, she placed the photo back to its place and moved on to the next things.

As Lucy was about to check out the stacks of DVD's, Natsu suddenly comes out of the kitchen, wearing his apron, and calls Lucy's attention, "Yo, Luce!" **  
**Abruptly turning her head to face Natsu like she was some deer in headlights, Natsu suddenly sniggers with the expression on Lucy's face. Seeing the man chuckle and grin to her, Lucy shortly changes her expression from surprise to confusion. Raising her brow at Natsu, Lucy questions, "You like using nicknames, don't ya?" slowly, a smile creeps on her face **  
**"Well, it's better than Luigi, right?" Natsu snickers again when Lucy scrunches her face and groans **  
**"Please don't call me that…" Lucy annoyed states before she rolls her eyes and walks closer to the pinkette, "So, do you need help?" She offered **  
**"Nah, I got this…" Natsu then crosses his arms as he smugly looked at the blonde **  
**"Then why did you come out and call me?" Lucy skeptically asks **  
**"I wanted to offer you some wine…you want?" Natsu then childishly grins at the blonde, who quickly chortled at the lame excuse **  
**"Sure, why not…" Lucy then turns Natsu around and pushed him back to the kitchen, which Natsu willingly complied.

When the two were at the kitchen, Natsu abruptly handed a glass of wine to the blonde, who happily accepted it as she took a seat on the stool of Natsu's kitchen island and sipped her wine.

"So," Lucy instantly tries to break the ice, "How many girlfriends have you brought here?" **  
**"Wait, this is a question portion now?" Natsu shockingly looked at the blonde, who just smiled and shrugged her shoulder, **  
**"Just curious…" Lucy then pushes the glass to the side as she crosses her arms over the table to lean forward, "After all, I'm your girlfriend…right?" **  
**"In front of the media, yes…but behind the camera…" Natsu then scrunches his face as a sign that it was a no, but Lucy quickly added, making Natsu look at the blonde surprised **  
**"We're friends…agree?" Lucy then happily smiles at the man, who nods his head in response **  
**"Agree…" Natsu then turns around as he continued preparing the meal.

When Natsu agreed, Lucy expected that Natsu would answer her question but then the man just ignored her and continued his work. So gawking at the attempt of Natsu ignoring her question, she quickly remarked, "Hey, you didn't answer my question!" **  
**"Oh, me?" Natsu half turned to look at the blonde with his smile, but then he turned away again, making Lucy groan in annoyance. Laughing at the expected response of the blonde, he finally turned around to glance at the pissed off woman.

"You know you look ridiculous with that face…" Natsu points, making Lucy frown, which he intended to do. So, he laughed once more **  
**"Why do you keep on laughing at my face?" Lucy said irritated before she looks away from the pinkette. Grinning at the blonde, Natsu swiftly leans forward making Lucy pull back at little. Trying to give them a little distance, she unexpected meets the dark onyx eyes of the pinkette **  
**"Because I find your face amusing…" Natsu gently smiles at her as he adds, "And I mean it as a compliment," **  
**"How's that suppose to be a compliment?" Lucy skeptically asks back, still staring at his eyes **  
**"I don't know…just take it as a compliment," Natsu then pulls away as the pressure cooker suddenly hissed indicating that the beef was cooked.

As Natsu returns to his cooking, Lucy huffs in exasperation. With Natsu being a little tease and playful man, she doesn't know how to keep up with his energy. All she wanted to do now was know him. After all, they were just beginning to be friends. But seeing Natsu so reluctant to share, Lucy thought it was pretty hopeless to get Natsu, placing her arms back to the table with one arm up as she leans her head into it, Lucy sighs again before she speaks.

"So, why exactly are you avoiding my questions?" Lucy boringly looked at the broad shoulders of the man cooking **  
**"I'm not really avoiding your questions. I just answered one," Natsu said without looking back at her but he had a smile on his lips **  
**"Oh, really? So, you're trying to be sarcastic to me now..." Lucy replies and Natsu finally turns around to look at her with his arms crossed over his chest **  
**"Fine, I'll answer your questions if you answer my questions…" Natsu self-assured look at the blonde, who lazily looked back at him **  
**"Okay, shoot away…" Lucy then slowly sat up straight as she waited for Natsu to ask.

With the permission of the blonde, Natsu couldn't help but grin with the opportunity to know more about the actress. So, getting excited to do this questioning, he quickly turned off the stove and closed the cooker.

"Okay," Natsu then pulls a stool to seat in front of the blonde **  
**"Wait, what about our food?" Lucy suddenly feeling nervous that Natsu was taking this questioning seriously **  
**"Don't worry, it's done…I'll serve it in a bit…" Natsu replies with his grin prominent on his face **  
**"O-okay…" Lucy slightly stutters before she swallows hard, suddenly regretting that she allowed Natsu to throw some questions to her **  
**"Alright, I ask the first question then you're next…" Natsu triumphantly says, making Lucy look back at him with suspicion **  
**"What's the catch?" Lucy asks **  
**"Nothing…" Natsu then laughs out loud making Lucy scowl at the laughing man **  
**"Fine! Ask now!" Lucy shouts to cut the laughter out **  
**"Okay," Natsu then sat up straight as he looked at the woman in front of him, "What is it like to be an heiress of the Heartfilia family?" **  
**"Why are you asking me this again?" Lucy shook her head in disbelief **  
**"Nah-ah, you don't get to ask, only answer…" Natsu smirks at the scowling blonde **  
**"Fine…terrible," Lucy shortly answers then looks at the pinkette bored **  
**"Why?" Natsu asks the second time but Lucy shook her head as she smiled this time **  
**"Nah-ah…my turn," Lucy chuckles a little when Natsu pouted for a moment before he returns the smile, "Okay…how many girlfriends you had?" Lucy then patiently waits for the man to answer **  
**"Around…five girlfriends…three flings and two serious," Natsu then kept his lips tight as if he was closing the idea to add more information, "Alright, my turn!"

Soon, the two continued to throw questions and answer them. When their stomachs began to grumble, the two immediately prepared their meals and let the game continue over their food. As they did, their game of questions finally turned into real conversations, laughing at each other's funny experiences.

The night got deeper and two decided to continue their casual conversation in the balcony, where the night sky was obviously before them.

"So, you dated Loke for almost three years. In those three years, what was Loke like?" Natsu then glanced at the blonde who suddenly quiet in her seat **  
**"Loke?" Lucy echoes back as she glances at Natsu, who was patiently waiting, "Well, what can I say? He's charming, sweet…" **  
**"Tell me something you haven't told me…" Natsu interrupts, making Lucy suspiciously look at him, "I'm not gay. Now, will you continue?" **  
**Laughing for a moment, Lucy then tries to calm her laughter first before she continues, "Okay, Loke…um, he's the typical romantic guy. He makes you sweep off your feet with his sweet words, compliments, stares…" Lucy then looked at Natsu, "But um…" Lucy then looks away when she realized that Natsu was intently staring back at her, making her heart jump a little, "his words are too unrealistic that it made me wonder if he's even real…" **  
**"And you used to like it?" Natsu suddenly questions **  
**"No…not one bit. It's one of the things Loke does that annoys me because he just makes himself too unbelievable…" Lucy then chuckles at the memory of Loke giving sweet nothings **  
**"Then why'd you fell in love with him?" Natsu asks again **  
**"'Cause he made me feel loved when I wanted to be loved…" Lucy then looked down to her glass of wine in hand, "He made me feel special and made me believe that I was worth it…" **  
**"But then he cheated on you…" Natsu suddenly trails off not realizing what he said. He only did when he heard Lucy chuckle **  
**"Yeah, he did…It was a hard slap in my face. But, I can't blame him. I sort of turned cold to him when he started putting so much control over my life," Lucy then looked out on the night view **  
**"Just like your father…" Natsu added but this time fully aware of his words. As Lucy glanced at him, she gave a gentle smile before she puts down her legs and stood up to place the glass of wine down to the small table in between them **  
**"I think I should head home…" Lucy said softly, almost whispering but with Natsu's incredible hearing, the man then nods. Putting down his glass and stood up next to the blonde, Natsu gave the same soft smile. He then placed a hand on her shoulder as he says, "Thanks for sharing. It's nice to know things about you."

"The same for me," Lucy then tucks a loose hair back to her ear as she nods to the man **  
**"Alright, let me drive you home," and with that, Natsu steps back to enter back inside.

When she was left on her own, Lucy looked back at the vast night sky again and gave a gentle smile at it. It was nice making new friends, friends who didn't judge you for your decisions and principles in life. She may be in the show business and know a lot of actors but not all of them are her friends. It was nice to feel ordinary, where no eyes and cameras continuously follow her.

Hearing Natsu shouts in pain after bumping his toe to his coffee table, Lucy suddenly chuckles. Loving how this day turned out, she couldn't wait to start the day tomorrow, to get to know more of her new friend.

* * *

It's late Saturday night and a sudden visitor comes by the Dragneel Manor. It wasn't unusual for a sudden visitor to come by since head officials from the Dragon Empire Group sometimes drop by to hand over official documents to the CEO. But what was odd was the unexpected visitor of the wife of the CEO.

A red-haired young lady sits on the couch, patiently waiting to be called and accepted to meet Mrs. Dragneel, who was readying herself to meet her. Minutes pass by and a maid suddenly comes down and heads towards her.

"Madame Grandine is ready to see you, Ms. Scarlet," the maid said after bowing her head to the young woman. The woman then stood up as she gently smiled at her and bowed her head, "Thank you. If you may lead," **  
**"Of course, right this way," and with that, the maid assisted the young scarlet towards the office located on the third floor of the manor. As the maid stopped right at the side of the door, she bows once again to the scarlet and left her.

As soon as she was alone, Erza released her tension by exhaling then knocked on the door gently. After three knocks, a sweet and confident voice answers, telling her to come in. Slowly turning the knob and open the door, Grandine is revealed to be sitting on a blue cushion chair, with a cup of tea and a hot pot at the side.

"Erza," Grandine then stands to meet the young woman to give her a hug. After they hugged, Erza bows her head in respect as she says, "I'm sorry Mrs. Dragneel for the late visit…" **  
**"Oh come on, Erza, don't be too formal. You call me Auntie Grandine," Grandine chuckles when Erza turned a little red **  
**"Well…I sort of came here for work," Erza bashfully looked at the middle-aged blue haired woman **  
**"Ahhh…" Grandine turns around and took her previous seat to drink her tea, "Please, take a seat and grab a tea," **  
**complying with Grandine's request, Erza quickly sat on the chair and helped herself some tea. As she did, Grandine said, "I see that Eileen assigned you to my request," **  
**"Yes, Auntie Grandine…" Erza then looked down to her steaming tea, "It seems like, I have to investigate on Natsu and his girlfriend again just like before…" **  
**"True…" Grandine nods as she leans her back to her chair and sighs, "You do have to inspect about Natsu and his new girlfriend. But," **  
**Erza then looks up, a little surprise with the sudden catch of her task, "But?" **  
**"Yes, Erza…" Grandine then smiles at the scarlet-haired woman, "I want you to investigate his relationship to prove to me that they are a real couple. I don't want to have reasons to believe that this is a fake, pretentious game of Natsu's." **  
**"You actually want me to check if the two are really a couple? And not some fake relationship?" Erza stunned asks **  
**"Yes. I know the last time I asked you to do this, I asked you to find proof that the woman Natsu dated before was actually just trying to loot his money…" Grandine then scowls at the memory, "But not this time. I just want you to find out if Natsu is really in a relationship…" **  
**"Who is this woman?" Erza questions, **  
**"Her name's Lucy…Lucy Heartfilia," Grandine mentions the name with certainty in her voice, "She's the daughter of a businessman that we used to have a good affiliation with. Until one day, her father cut-offs his ties with us," **  
**"I see. It seems like it has something to do with business. Are you afraid that this Lucy is using her relationship with Natsu to bring back that affiliation?" Erza questions, getting more intrigued with the woman in topic **  
**"Maybe. I don't know. Business is not my concern, but you may look into it as well…" Grandine then gave a stern look at the scarlet, who quickly knew what the Dragneel madam wanted **  
**"Alright, I'll get into it then…" Erza then puts down her cup before she stands and bows her head to the older woman **  
**"Thank you Erza," Grandine stands up as well to embrace the young lady once again

When they did, Erza pulls away and bids goodbye. But right when Erza was about to step out, Grandine calls her once again, successfully stopping the scarlet, "Erza," Grandine then takes a step closer, "Don't be afraid to be friends with her…I know, you two might just get along," **  
**"Thank you, Auntie Grandine…until next time," Erza said with a smile and soon turns away to head out.

When Grandine was alone by herself in the office, she sighs in tiredness before she takes her seat once again.

"I just do hope this turns out well…"

* * *

Sunday morning came and Erza was preparing to head her way out of her apartment, when a certain blue-haired man with a red tattoo above and under his right eye, suddenly appears from the bedroom, wearing only his sleeping pants.

"Where are you going?" The man quickly asks as he watches Erza put things to her small sling bag **  
**"I'm heading out for coffee…" Erza replies without looking at the man as she just continued to check on her things **  
**"Without me?" The man then approaches the scarlet-haired woman, making her finally look up at him and reply sternly **  
**"This is not a leisure thing, Jellal. This is…" Erza then pauses as she realized that her boyfriend wouldn't like one bit of what she would be doing **  
**"This is what?" the man named Jellal, then raises his brow at his girlfriend, "Should I guess what this whole coffee thing is about or you would tell me?" **  
**"Um…" Erza then tightens her lips as she stood up straight, hesitating to share her task despite being under the same security agency **  
**"Okay, I'll guess," Jellal then takes a step forward, making Erza a little nervous, "This has something to do with Natsu…" **  
**"Out of all the people, why would you guess him?" Erza surprised asks, trying to hide the fact that he had caught her **  
**"Erza, we work at the same company. I don't think your mission would be a secret to me," Jellal then chuckles as he watched Erza puff her cheeks and sigh, "How about I drive you to your destination and tell me about your plan…" **  
**"Alright, then get dressed. Lucy is sure to be heading her way already," and with that, Erza turns away from her boyfriend and headed out.

Soon enough, the couple was on the road and Erza began to explain to Jellal about her true task. She mentioned to him that she would be once again doing an undercover mission, to know Lucy Heartfilia this time. Apparently, Grandine feels suspicious about Lucy's sudden revelation about her identity, knowing that the blonde woman was an actress for almost seven years.

Her task was to get more background about Lucy and her family, more than what people already know about the Heartfilia. She also has to counter check some facts that Natsu and Lucy have given to Grandine. With that, she will be able to know if their relationship is fraud or true.

"So, how is going to the coffee shop help with the mission?" Jellal suddenly asks as he gave a short glance at the scarlet-haired woman, who was reading the file of Lucy Heartfilia **  
**"Lucy goes to a coffee shop nearby her condominium building every Sunday. At times, she goes there for coffee and at times just to read a book. She usually goes there early morning to avoid many customers, but as the place becomes crowded she leaves. So, I need to get there before the place becomes crowded" **  
**"How exactly did you know this?" Jellal questions, curious to the method Erza used to gather information about the actress **  
**"Her personal assistant," Erza simply states before she points out a corner, "Jelly-bear, over there," **  
**Instead of answering the redhead, Jellal suddenly chuckled, making Erza raise her brow in wonder why the man next to her was laughing, "What?" She skeptically asked while Jellal slows down the car to the side **  
**"Nothing…" Jellal says dishonestly while trying to keep his laughter down **  
**"Uh! Fine, I won't ever call you that," Erza then frowns at the blue-haired man before she turns in her seat to open the door of the car and step out. But before she could, a hand suddenly stops her by holding down her wrist.

As Erza glanced at her shoulder, Jellal was smiling genuinely at her and says, "Don't I get a kiss?" **  
**"What?" Erza staggeringly looked at Jellal, and without warning, the man leaned in and gave a gentle kiss on her cheek.

With her cheeks reddening, Erza quietly looked back at the man when he pulled away. Jellal then stifles his laughter to say, "Good luck with your mission, Erzy-bear," and with that, Erza astonishingly nodded and turns away to step out of the car.

When the car left, Erza shook her head as she tries to forget how cute her boyfriend could be whenever he tried to be. Despite knowing Jellal is a serious and quiet person, Erza knew that Jellal had a cute side. It just so happens he shows it in a random timing, like now.

"Erza, get yourself together!" She said to herself as she slaps her cheeks, to organize her thoughts. When suddenly she noticed a blonde woman sitting by the window, with a book in hand and a mug placed on the table, "It's Lucy," Erza states as her mission quickly ran to her mind

"I better get this started…" And with that, Erza crossed the street and casually entered the coffee shop.

Once she entered, she quickly ordered her coffee as a prop to look like a customer. When she was done, she glanced at the side of the coffee shop, and there she sees Lucy sitting by herself. Erza then shakes her head a little to make her hair flow backward before she heads towards the table of the blonde. As she was close by, she brought a smile that showed excitement.

"Oh my god, aren't you Lucy?" Erza asks enthusiastically, making Lucy look up with curious eyes **  
**"Um, yeah…" Lucy softly answers before she timidly smiles back at the redhead **  
**"Oh my goodness, hi!" Erza then extends her hand as she adds, "I'm Erza! I'm a fan of yours,"

Lucy then takes the hand and gives it a gentle shake, "Hi, nice to meet you, Erza," **  
**"Do you mind if I join you?" then, without waiting for Lucy to reply, Erza took the seat in front of the blonde and happily places her things on the table **  
**"…sure," Lucy trails off, stunned, as she watches the redhead take her seat. When the scarlet-haired woman was settled, she gave a nervous smile as she cocked her head in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry you must be thinking I'm some weird fan trying to invade your privacy," Erza then chuckles to herself as Lucy awkwardly laughs with her **  
**"Well, not so much…" Lucy then nervously smiles at the redhead **  
**"Don't worry I'm not just a fan…" Erza then trails off as she intended to watch the reaction of the blonde. When Lucy suddenly sat up straight, Erza took note of how the blonde was suddenly cautious, then she adds "I'm also a friend of Natsu…" **  
**"Y-you know Natsu?" Lucy staggered, making her close her book and put it down on the table as she eyes the redhead **  
**"Yeah, and I also know that you're his girlfriend," Erza then gave a knowing smile, "Correct?" **  
**"Um, yeah…" Lucy then swallows hard, trying to keep herself calm despite the sudden introduction of the redhead, "Wait, I think I've heard your name…" **  
**"Really?" Erza then skeptically observed Lucy's reaction **  
**"Yeah, he mentioned you as his friend who was not picky as a woman…" Lucy then gave a genuine smile, more confident in taking part in the conversation **  
**"Oh really…well, it's true. I act quite boyish for Natsu," Erza then chuckles along with the blonde

"Wait, um..." Lucy then trails off as she keeps a cautious step in knowing the redhead, "So, how did you know I'm Natsu's girlfriend? I don't remember you coming to the charity ball..." **  
**"Ah, a mutual friend told me about you," Erza then smiles politely at the blonde, realizing that Lucy was trying to investigate her as well. Suddenly feeling challenged, she then asks, "So, how did you and Natsu meet? I never knew Natsu had so many showbiz friends," **  
**"He doesn't," Lucy assured answers before she smirks, "It just so happens he's friends with Lisanna, who is also my friend,"

 _"She got that correct..."_ Erza thought to herself as she nods her head, "Really? Just like that? You suddenly meet Natsu because of Lisanna?" **  
**"Well, yeah. Though, she set me up with him," Lucy then shakes her head as she remembers the first time she was to meet Natsu, "I thought at first I was going to meet Natsu as a casual friend, but then Lisanna made it our blind date," **  
**"Ah, tricky woman, just like her sister," Erza then chuckles as she thought about the older white-haired woman **  
**"Pretty much...Mirajane is quite a matchmaker too," Lucy then grins when Erza nodded furiously to her comment

"So, you like books..." Erza suddenly took notice of the thick book sitting on the table **  
**"Ah, yes. Do you?" Lucy returns the question **  
**"Well, I don't read as much as Gajeel's girlfriend," Erza then gave a knowing smile, trying to know more people whom she may be affiliated **  
**"Oh, you mean Levy? Yeah, that woman is sure a bookworm," Lucy then grabs her book to read the cover, "She actually gave me this..." **  
**"You also know Levy?" Erza skeptically questions

Before Lucy could answer, the barista on the front counter suddenly calls out to Erza's name, making the red-haired woman excuse herself to grab her drink. As she was getting her coffee, she pulled out her phone and opened the soft copy of the file of Heartfilia. Soon, she typed in new information, about Lucy being familiar with Levy McGarden.

As she was heading back to the table, she looked at her phone one last time to check on the information she needs to confirm. When she imprinted the information in her mind, she tucked her phone away in her bag and place a smile on her face.

"Sorry about that," Erza quickly says as she takes her previous seat **  
**"No problem…" Lucy then smiled, "So, where do you work?" **  
**"BSA Corporation," Erza confidently smiles **  
**"Oh…" Lucy then trails off as she tried to think of what kind of company the redhead was affiliated with **  
**"I guess you're not familiar with it. It's Belserion Security Agency, a corporation that provides security personnel to different companies" **  
**"Ahh, I see…and you are the…" Lucy expectantly waits for the scarlet to continue for her **  
**"Security Training Department Manager,"

As Lucy continuously questions the red-haired woman, Erza kept a calm expression. She isn't bothered at all to give information about herself as it is her tactic to make the blonde believe that she is just coming as a friend. But of course, Erza still kept in mind her task, so when the conversation was dwelling too long on her, she tapped her finger on the table successfully catching the attention of the blonde who curiously looked back.

"Enough about me…" Erza then hunches forward as she places her arms on the table, "Tell me about you and Natsu…" **  
**"Natsu and me? Why?" Lucy asks, feeling so confused to why the woman was so persistent in knowing about her relationship with Natsu **  
**"Well because it's been a long time since Natsu introduced someone to his family. The last time he was in a serious relationship, he was nearly broken…" Erza then tilts her head as she asks the blonde, "So, what's your love story? After all, Natsu has gone through a heartbreak …"  
"Well, our story is um…" Lucy then deliberates as she tries to think of a good story, "What do you call this?" Lucy gestures with her finger twirling around like a tornado while snapping occasionally to bring the word out of her lips, when suddenly she remembers and points at the redhead, "Whirlwind!"  
"A whirlwind?" Erza echoes back with bemusement in her voice and Lucy just chortles awkwardly, "Yeah…" Lucy then smiles innocently when Erza furrowed her brows at her  
"That's odd. I've never seen Natsu's past relationships having a description of a whirlwind…" Erza then skeptically looked at the blonde, who suddenly straightens her back **  
**"Look, I'm not really fond of talking about Natsu's past flings. So, I never asked him nor he insisted on telling me about his past relationships…" Lucy then trails off as she confidently looked at the redhead, feeling a little bold with her words, "But one thing I know, I am way better than his ex-girlfriends," **  
**"How sure are you? I mean, you just met him for what?" **  
**"A few months…" Lucy said, trying to make her meet up with Natsu a little realistic than saying for a week **  
**"See, a few months. How can you make Natsu fall for you in _few_ months?" Erza presses on, making Lucy a little nervous again **  
**"Erza, of course, he was head over heels for me…" Lucy then smiles sweetly despite the stupid reason she gave. It was the only excuse she could think of to make Natsu fall in love with her in a short span of time, "I don't mean to brag…but, yeah. He was head over heels for me…and I was too. That's why our love story is like a whirlwind," **  
**"Huh," Erza then sighs dubiously, "Well, there could always be a first time for everything…" **  
**"Indeed," Lucy then swallows hard as she tries to bare the intense gaze of the scarlet-haired woman, who was obviously thinking over about the information, "If you don't mind, I'll head on first. I have a date to prepare for…" **  
**"Sure," And with that, Lucy quickly took her things as she stood up and smiled at Erza  
"See you next time…" and with that, the blonde walked away and headed out of the coffee shop

When Erza was on her own, she quickly relaxed her body back to her chair. Sighing in exhaustion, Erza couldn't help but feel apprehensive, after all her tactic awhile ago was not her best performance. It still bothers her that she is doing this task out of order and not because she intends to know the woman Natsu was dating. What she said to Lucy about Natsu was true and it really makes her curious how Natsu could quickly introduce Lucy to his family when he said to himself that he'll never find love once again.

"I am far from finding the truth between the two…"

* * *

As Lucy paces in her condo unit, thinking about her encounter with the red-haired woman, Lucy felt agitated about how the conversation in the coffee shop went. She couldn't believe it, she just met a friend of Natsu and she is sure, Erza is not just some friend of her fake boyfriend but could be a family friend. And this could only mean that Erza could be close to Grandine and Igneel.

"Am I screwed?" Lucy mutters to herself as she stops from pacing. But then she paces again and this time taps her mobile phone against the palm of her other hand, "I should tell this to Natsu…" Lucy utters and nods at her own suggestion before she stops in her spot to call the pinkette.

After dialing his number and a few ring, the call was accepted by the pinkette, making Lucy yelp in anticipation, "Natsu!" **  
** _"Yeah, Luce…what up?"_ Natsu replies, quite confused with the sudden call **  
**"I need you to come to my condo. Now!" and with that, Lucy hangs up the call without even giving any explanation. Soon, she began to pace again.

Surprised with the sudden call from the blonde, Natsu couldn't help but furrow his brows as he stares at his phone, "Now, what is wrong with this woman?" He grumbles to himself before blowing some raspberries.

Despite not feeling like stepping out of his house, he sighed and turned off the television before he stands up from his couch. Lazily walking, he went back to his room and began to strip from his sleepwear and changed into clothes more appropriate for outside. When he stepped out of his room wearing a simple black v-neck t-shirt and dark blue jeans he immediately grabbed his leather jacket and white scaly scarf. And soon, he grabbed his motorbike's key and wallet before he went inside his personal elevator.

As he rode the small contraption down to the underground parking, he tried to think of a reason why Lucy had to call him early Sunday morning. He barely knows Lucy so he doesn't know what runs inside Lucy's head. But one thing he is sure, the blonde could be overreacting at times and possibly this is just one of it.

When he arrived at the underground parking, Natsu quickly rode his big bike and drove off back to the condominium building of the blonde actress. After a good fifteen minutes, Natsu was able to park his black Ducati in the underground parking and headed up to Lucy's unit.

He barely gave thought to what this urgency was all about, so when he pressed the doorbell to Lucy's condo and the door flung opened, he was startled when he was quickly pulled inside.

"Gah! Luce!" Natsu shouts as he stumbles forward and Lucy releases her grip to his collar **  
**"Natsu, I think I'm in big trouble," Lucy mumbles frantically as she continues to walk towards her closed curtains **  
**"Lucy! Seriously?! Did you have to pull me by my shirt?!" Natsu furiously questions as he tries to gain his balance. But then the blonde didn't pay attention to him as she continued to mumble to herself, "Oy, Lucy, what are you muttering about?" Natsu asks, trying to catch the attention of the blonde

Seeing how Lucy was not hearing him, Natsu then takes a step closer to the blonde, reaching out to tap her on the shoulder when suddenly she turns with her eyes wide, making him step back in surprise.

"Natsu! Didn't you hear me?! I think I screwed up our secret!" Lucy then pulls her hair in frustration as she walked past the pinkette **  
**"Would you calm down...?" Natsu says as he recovers from his surprise. Turning around to hold Lucy in place, he quickly grasps her shoulder and turned her to face him. **  
**"Alright, take a deep breath..." Natsu instructed and as Lucy does he then grins at her. When Lucy somehow calmed down, Natsu's hold then loosens so that he may cross his arms.

"Now, tell me from the start what is going on," Natsu stood tall as Lucy agrees

"It started this morning. I went to the nearby coffee shop near this building to read my book when suddenly someone came to approach me..." Lucy was then nudged by Natsu to seat down to the couch with him assisting her. When they were seated, Lucy continued, "She said her name was Erza," **  
**"Erza?" Natsu questions astoundingly and Lucy fervently nods **  
**"Yeah and I remembered you telling me about her being quite not girlish," Lucy hunches forward as she rests her elbows on her knees **  
**"What did she want?" Natsu asks, finally getting the idea of the problem **  
**"I don't know..." Lucy then looks at the man, "She just came to me and introduced herself. She said she was your friend then she started asking questions,"

Natsu then leans forward too, contemplating about the situation. As they become silent, Lucy began to ask, trying to know if she did screw up, "Are we screwed?"

"It depends," Natsu then sits up straight as he directly looked at Lucy, "What did she ask?" **  
**"Um, she asked about how we met," Lucy then bit her lower lip as she watched the reaction of the man **  
**"And you said..." Natsu trails off for Lucy to answer **  
**"I met you because of Lisanna," Lucy then smiles when Natsu nodded his head and said, "Good, that's what I told mom too...What else?" **  
**"Oh, um...she asked me for how long we've known each other," **  
**"What did you say?" Natsu then leans a little closer to the blonde **  
**"I said a few months...I couldn't say we just met a week ago," Lucy began to fumble with her fingers **  
**"That's alright..." Natsu then stands and walks around the coffee table with his hands shoved in his pants' pocket, "We have to take note of our facts," **  
**"Yeah, we do..." Lucy agrees diligently **  
**"Are there more questions she asked?" Natsu then tried to remember the time Erza did questioning to his ex-girlfriend, "Did she ask you random questions or something?" **  
**"She did!" Lucy points while she shouted, suddenly feeling excited but quickly replaced by worry, "She asked about my habit of reading..." **  
**"Did you mention a name?" Natsu probingly questions **  
**"Yeah, I mentioned Levy..." **  
**"Who else did you mention?" **  
**"I mentioned Lisanna and Mirajane...that's it," Lucy then bites her lower lip, "Now, am I screwed?"

Seeing the way Lucy was panicking, Natsu couldn't help but chuckle a little. He has never seen her panic like this, though she panicked the night before the charity ball, "Is this how you acted the night before the charity ball?" **  
**"Natsu! Would you quit it and answer my question?! Can't you see that I'm anxious right now?!" Lucy bellows before she huffs in annoyance and crosses her arms over her chest. Dropping her back to the couch, she looked away from the pinkette as she continuously hears Natsu laugh **  
**"Sorry, sorry," Natsu said in between laughter before he shakes his head, "It's just that...you're panicking too much," Natsu then walks back to the couch and drops himself next to the blonde

"Relax actress, there is nothing to worry about. You didn't screw up anything," Natsu then rests his back to the sofa as Lucy skeptically looked at him **  
**"How can you be sure? Erza practically interrogated me in a very casual way and I never realized it until I became short-handed with my adlibs," Lucy then intensely stares at the pinkette, who was supposed to be intimidated but was only amused with the anger boiling inside Lucy **  
**"This isn't the first time Erza investigated about my girlfriend. Nothing's going to happen wrong as long as everyone who knows about our deal is in sync with our own facts," **  
**"Wait, Erza has investigated your girlfriends?" Lucy asks surprised, not sure how to take in that information, "What exactly is her job?" **  
**"She's part of the investigative personnel of the Dragon Empire Group," Natsu then smirks when Lucy just gawked at him **  
**"But she said she was the…the…security manager?" Lucy says more like a question than a statement **  
**"She's the department manager for security training of BSA corp, which is under our company,"

Suddenly feeling weak, Lucy slacks down on her seat as she stared off at her living room. She couldn't believe a friend of Natsu would do such thing. She understands that Natsu's mother could be suspicious of her but ask for Natsu's friend to investigate on her son's personal life was too much.

"I'm sorry, why aren't you finding this disturbing?" Lucy confusingly asks the pinkette, who was just silently waiting for her to reaction **  
**"Because I expected this," Natsu then leans closer to the blonde as he gave a confident smile to her, "Mom would do anything to know about the women I introduce to them," **  
**"Okay, so, this is normal?" Lucy curiously queries the man, who nodded in response, "And I shouldn't worry at all?" **  
**"Nope, just cautious and alert" Natsu then taps the blonde locks of the woman, who was left speechless. As Natsu begins to stand up, he was quickly stopped from walking away when Lucy held on to his wrist.

Looking back at the blonde, Natsu's brows suddenly creases in confusion as he watches her stand up. Lucy had a serious look this time and it only meant that Natsu had to listen well.

"We can't just ignore this. Your mom could always ask Erza to dig deep about us. And I'm sure you wouldn't want your family to discover the fake relationship you have been trying to make them believe" Lucy calmly looks at the pinkette who was not at all worried about this, "Natsu, I barely know you. We've just met for a week and this lie is barely even ready to be revealed. We had a deal. You help me get rid off my horrible rumors and I help get your parents off your back,"

"Well, the deal is still on. So, I don't get the idea of you worrying," Natsu indecisively looks at Lucy, who didn't flinch a bit

"You may not be worried today. But one day, you will regret it, hoping you would have done something about this. So, I'm saving you from that," Lucy suddenly steps away from him to head to her drawers and pulled out a few pieces of paper and pen. Once she had it, she walked up to Natsu and handed the papers and pen.

Raising his brow in confusion, Natsu still dubiously takes the papers from Lucy. He doesn't know what the paper and pen were needed for in their current dilemma, but, he hopes that a clearer idea of what was happening would be explained. As Lucy stares at the pinkette, she knew Natsu would get confused to what was happening, so she immediately clears her throat.

"We'll set a few details that we need to remember for our relationship. Erza cannot find out that we are frauds, so we need to do this," and with that, Lucy gave a confident smile to Natsu, who continued to be speechless, even after Lucy has taken her seat by the couch.

When Lucy noticed that Natsu was still as confused as a little kid, she just sighed and told herself to give more patience to the man. After all, she needs this diversion. She needs Natsu to break her rumors.

"Shall we?"

 **To be continued…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It has been two days since Lucy met Erza in the coffee shop. At the moment of seeing the red-haired woman, Lucy would have thought it was a coincidence to meet Natsu's friend. But discovering that Erza was background checking her, thanks to Natsu's mother, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched all the time. She was used to being followed around by media people but the idea that a simple citizen requested for a background check on her was very nerve wracking. She felt like she is some convict waiting to be busted by the police.

Slamming a notebook to the couch, Lucy looked up at the television and glared at Sherry Blendy, the villain in the drama she is currently watching. Lucy has her brows furrowed as she continued to stare at the actress, "How could you?!" Lucy suddenly exclaims as she shares sympathy with the protagonist, "She is your best friend and yet you dare to seduce her husband?!"

Lucy then punches the notebook she was holding when suddenly she heard a faint sound of paper being ripped. Looking down, alarmed, Lucy quickly brought up the notebook and inspected it, only to see a small tear on the paper by the ring bind's side. Sighing in relief, Lucy relaxed her body on the couch and continued to watch. When the drama went on for commercial, Lucy looked down again to her notebook and audibly read the next line she should have read moments ago.

"When was your first date with Natsu?" Lucy reads the question before she looks up at the ceiling and answers her own question, "Three months ago when we both met at a friend's party. Lisanna's party," Lucy then looked down to her notes to check her words and she was indeed correct. So moving on to the next question, Lucy was about to read another question when suddenly her phone beeped.

It was a text message from Natsu and so, Lucy quickly opened his message. It is rare for Natsu to text her mid-day but Lucy just shrugs it off as she read the message. Natsu told her that he would be leaving Magnolia for a few days since he had some business meeting with people from Lilia City. He also reassured her that she doesn't have to worry about Erza and his mother since they would be busy as well.

For the first time since that unexpected meetup, Lucy was able to breathe freely. So, sighing and relaxing her back on the couch, Lucy smiled at the television as she thought how she could finally do things she wants outside her condominium unit. She said to herself, once the show she is watching finishes, she'd call Levy and Lisanna to hang out knowing they have flexible schedules.

Soon enough, the episode ended and Lucy immediately calls her friends. It was quite surprising for the two girls to hear Lucy inviting them to hang out and have lunch since the blonde doesn't like much being followed around. But since Lucy insisted, Levy and Lisanna both agreed to meet up in a restaurant within the city.

Wearing her strips off-shoulder dress, Lucy patiently waits inside La Frances Restaurant. The place is quiet and has a semi-formal vibe but not too stiff to feel uncomfortable. It is a relief to Lucy that customers of the restaurant didn't mind her much, just a few crews asking for a picture with her. Of course, as kind, as she is, she smiled with those people wholeheartedly.

Sooner than later, Levy and Lisanna came one by one and sat along with her, and began their early lunch.

"So, how's the diversion going?" Lisanna asks as she dabs her fork to her salad

"Well, it's good..." without looking at Lisanna, Lucy replied back and trails off, "for now," she quietly adds but Levy still heard her

"What do you mean, for now, Lu-chan?" Levy cocks her head to the side as she stared at the blonde

As Lucy looks at her, she shrugged her shoulder and said, "For now, everything is going well. I just don't know until when will this smooth pretending end,"

"I wouldn't say smooth pretending," Levy suddenly comments when she recalled Mira busting her about Lucy's deal. Lucy and Lisanna then looked at the blunette, who was a little uneasy.

"Why not?" Lisanna questions

"Well, last Saturday, Mira called me asking about Lucy and Natsu dating," Levy said as she fixed her gaze to Lucy, "I barely made it successful in lying 'cause you know Mira, she sees through me..."  
"What did you tell her?" Lucy asked in concern  
"I just said that she should just ask you about the time you met Natsu's parents without her knowing," Levy then shudders when the blonde suddenly glared at her  
"You told her about me meeting the Dragneels?" Lucy repeats the words of the blunette with a threatening voice, "This should be kept secret,"  
"I know!" Levy panicked as she leans closer to the blonde, "That's why I'm wondering if she has ever called you about it,"

Lucy then became silent as she tried to remember the past few days if Mira called her and talked about anything related to Natsu. But then she couldn't remember any instance.

"Actually, no..." Lucy then shakes her head, "She called me last Monday but it was about an event I have to go next Friday. Besides from that, nothing else,"

"Huh," Levy sighs and gets a little confused because Mira sounded really eager to know, "I wonder..."

"Why don't we just forget about it for the meantime?" Lisanna states, capturing the attention of the two, "Since my sister hasn't talked about it, I guess we could just act like nothing happened,"

"You're right," Levy agrees before she begins to dig into her salad again.

Lucy was then silent for a moment. Her friends were correct and besides, worrying about something that isn't much of an issue yet would just be a trouble in the head. But then she remembers the Dragneels.

"There is one more problem," Lucy said, staring off at the glass of water next to Lisanna's plate, making the two other girls tilt their head in confusion  
"I thought everything is smooth?" Lisanna comments as she stares at Lucy  
"I thought it was...but then I remembered..." Lucy trails off, trying not to shudder as she recalls her Sunday experience, "Grandine Dragneel," Lucy mutters softly. Levy just skeptically looked at the blonde while Lisanna had her eyes grew wide.

Dropping her jaw slowly and covers it with her hands, Lisanna shockingly answers, "Oh my goodness...did Auntie Grandine background check you?"

"Background check?" Levy repeats, quite surprised with the term Lisanna used, "What do you mean background check? Who does that?"

"Apparently, Natsu's mother," Lucy mumbles as she tossed a few leaves on her plate. Levy then returns her attention to the actress as she waited for her to explain.

"Last Sunday, Erza Scarlet," Lucy then points to Lisanna, "I don't know if you know her, but she pretended to accidentally meet me in a coffee shop near my place. She came to me really friendly and I thought what a coincidence to meet one of Natsu's friends. But then, later on, she started asking me questions about my relationship with Natsu. I knew right at that moment, it was odd. She was too interested in my relationship with Natsu, more than a person would usually do. So, I quickly tried to excuse myself. I called Natsu, told him about it and there he reveals to me that Grandine have been background checking all his latest girlfriends,"

Levy and Lisanna were baffled, utterly confused and stunned with what Lucy experienced. It is odd for them to hear someone is background checking other people for the purpose of love. They never realized it happens in true life and not just some drama.

"Wow," Levy comments, "I can't believe it Lu, you're living like in a real life drama series. One antagonist is Loke, another is Natsu's mother and then you and Natsu are the protagonist?"

Lisanna then chuckles at the somehow childish analogy of the blunette, "Really Levy?" Lisanna shakes her head, "We know how much you love series but come on this is serious for Lucy. Right?" She looked at Lucy and the blonde nodded

"I know how ridiculous and absurd it sounded that Grandine background checks me, but it's true. Now, Natsu and I are very cautious. We are both practicing our lie properly to avoid giving contrasting answers,"

"Really? So, you have like, a notebook of what you and Natsu possibly have done?" Levy questions and Lucy nods, making Levy chuckle in surprise, "Oh my goodness, this is really like a drama,"

"So, what happens now?" Lisanna suddenly asks Lucy, who halts from playing with her food to look up at the silver-haired singer

"Since Natsu and I keep things in low profile, I'm thinking, you two should do the same," Lucy replies. Lisanna then tilts her head in confusion  
"Why exactly?" Lisanna asks and Levy nods in agreement  
"Well because I said to Erza that I met Natsu because of you. So, I'm pretty sure, Erza would come up to you and subtly ask questions about us. As for you, Levy," Lucy then looks at the blunette, "I told Erza that you are a close friend of mine, so she might suddenly pop up to your office or I don't pretend to meet you and start asking questions. And take note, you are dating Gajeel, so she does know you,"

"Right," Levy then nibbles her lower lip in anxiousness, "I should be careful,"

"I guess it's mutual. We are all going to keep ourselves in low profile," Lucy said to her friends with seriousness in her voice, and the two ladies nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

A few more days have passed since Lucy and the girls met in the restaurant. True to their words, Levy and Lisanna kept their selves in low profile. Lisanna refrained from posting any pictures in one of her social media accounts, while Levy refrained from going alone from one event to another. She always made sure she had a companion in going to events, as an easy way to escape unwanted sudden interview from the red-haired woman Lucy has mentioned.

As for Lucy, she refrained from attending a casual meet up with other showbiz friends as not to further add people in Erza's list to interview. She said to herself, the only reason for her to attend an event if it's an official business such as brand promotion and commercial shoots. Other than that, Lucy politely declines invites from people.

When Saturday morning came, Lucy woke up extra early for her morning jog. Like her usual routine, Lucy ran from her condo building to the nearest park which was a kilometer away from her starting point. Despite being early and hoping to avoid the paparazzi, a few media people were able to stay alerted and capture her day activity. Lucy quickly dismissed the worry about having another rumor, thinking that it was fine for the media people to capture her morning routine since there was nothing to write about it.

So, reaching her home back after her morning jog, Lucy tiredly sat down at one stool of her island table and finished off her water. Sighing as she let out her exhaustion dissipate, she took off all the gadgets wrapped around her body. When done, she grabbed her phone and did her leisure habit, to scan her social media account.

As she was scrolling, her phone made a ring as a notification appeared on her screen. An email was sent to her by Mira, where a link was attached to the mail. Pressing on the link, an article comes up by Press People Column, an internet media outlet. The article was entitled, _"Lucy Ashley still not over with Loke De Leon?"_

Scoffing at the old news, Lucy was about to close the article when something caught her eye. It was the word 'single'. So, instantly, Lucy began to read the article. The article was concerned about Lucy's dating life.

" _After being spotted going out with the bachelor businessman, Natsu Dragneel a week ago, it has been a question why the actress is not spotted to hang around the man again. The two seemed to click together but after the last shooting week of the actress, the two is no longer spotted together in public. Could it be, Lucy rejected the businessman for she is still not over with Loke De Leon? And prefers to be single in meantime?"_

"Really? Just because of that, _I'm_ still in love with Loke?" Lucy comments after reading the article. She knew it, that article was just some made up story just to keep putting her name next to Loke. It was tiring and frustrating to keep on reading articles that are baseless.

"Seriously, they've got to find new writers about these stupid stories. Who is this writer?" Lucy then scrolls up only to find no name displayed. Lucy then grunts when she couldn't name the writer of the article.

Returning back to her email app, she presses the reply button to Mira's mail and told her not to worry about the article. She told her that the story was just a shallow comment about her appearances as a single person. And with that, she sends the reply.

Putting her phone down, Lucy decided to take a shower so that she could start her other activities for the day. Yesterday, Mira confirmed to her that she has a photo shoot today for the brand promotion she would be attending on the coming Friday. It's a new product of Eclipse Beauty, a makeup brand she has been endorsing for two years now. She is thankful that the company hasn't pulled out her contract despite the rumors she has been involved with.

Almost getting dressed, her doorbell suddenly rings and reveals her personal assistant and driver. They were there to pick her up and help her get her things ready.

"Morning, Lucy-sama!" Laki happily greets as Lucy opens the door  
"Hey, guys, get in," Lucy opens the door wider for the two as she steps back to allow them to enter. When her staffs were inside, Laki immediately ushered her to get dressed while her assistant would start packing her things up.

In a few minutes, they were settled and left the unit. Wearing simply a ripped jeans and a gray t-shirt with a faded Daisy Duck design in front of the shirt, tucked in her pants, Lucy came out of the building in simple attire but her beauty still radiated and captured the attention of the many.

Snapping photos of Lucy leaving the building and riding her van, the media made sure to get the best angle of the actress, after all, she is a hot topic. Once Lucy is inside her van and Laki closes the door, Max immediately steps on the gas and leaves the Condominium building.

* * *

"It's been a long time Juvia," Natsu said with a smile on his face before he leans forward to take his cup of tea and sip his lemon ginger tea

"Hai," Juvia timidly bows her head to the pink-haired president, "It has been a long time since Juvia saw Natsu-san around Lilia City. How was your travel?"

"It's good," Natsu nods and shrugs his shoulder, "I've taken my meds before the flight so it wasn't much of a bother,"  
"Well, then that's good…" Juvia sweetly smiled to the man before she picks up her own tea cup and sips her tea. When she was done, she slowly places it back to its saucer and said back to Natsu, "The city has new beautiful places to go to; you'll enjoy visiting them,"  
"Really?" Natsu replies back, sounding impressed, "Well, I do hope I have enough time to visit some new attractions around the city,"  
"Natsu-san has a lot of time to visit the new heritages," Juvia confidently assured the man, who suddenly scoffed at her comment  
"Yeah, like that would happen," Natsu sarcastically answers back, making Juvia pout cutely  
"It's true, you can visit the places in less than a day," Juvia mutters back like it was a fact  
"That is only possible if your lover-boy arrives soon," Natsu then slumps back to his chair and grins at the surprised blunette  
"Ahhh! Natsu-san thinks Gray-sama is Juvia's man!" Juvia giddily wiggles on her seat, making Natsu chuckle at the lively blunette  
"Well you make it so obvious, who wouldn't think so?" Natsu answers the blushing girl  
" Ahhh," Juvia nods before she smiles to herself and digs into her bag, "Since you believe Gray-sama is Juvia's love, I shall help you call him," she then begins to fumble with her phone as Natsu rolls his eyes to the woman, with a smile on his face too

After a few ring, Gray answered the call and told Juvia that he was on the way. As Juvia and Gray were conversing, Natsu loudly exclaimed that Gray was being such a loser for taking so long to arrive. Soon, the two men bickered, with Juvia being in the middle of the fight. At the end, Juvia had a ringing ear because of the yelling the two boys made.

As Juvia keeps her phone away, she gives a death glare to the pinkette making the man quiver in fear, suddenly remembering a certain blonde.

"How dare Natsu-san shout at Juvia's ear?" Juvia menacingly questions the man who gulped in nervousness  
"Don't blame me, Ice princess is being such a slowpoke," Natsu mutters back, avoiding to look at Juvia in the eyes. When the blunette didn't answer, Natsu got curious as to why the woman was silent and so he looked back at her. But he quickly regretted it when he saw the deadly gaze of the woman, making his hair in the arms rise in fear.

"Juvia would really give you two some piece of my fury!" Juvia shouted and Natsu quickly docked in his chair as if the anger of the blue-haired woman would directly kill him

"Oy, Juvia, why are you shouting?" a cool and deep voice suddenly spoke, capturing the attention of the two.

As Natsu sees Gray, he sat up straight and tried to warn the man but before Gray could understand the look Natsu was giving him, Juvia stood from her chair and quickly swings her handbag to the man. Hitting Gray in the arm hard, Juvia then exclaims, "How could Gray-sama cuss in Juvia's ear?!"

"Ah!" Gray yelped in surprise and pain, "Juvia! That hurts!"

Hearing the man, Juvia's eyes then widen and realize what she did. Placing her bag back to her chair, she hurriedly walked up to Gray and rubbed her hand to the spot where she has hit him, "Ah, Juvia is sorry!"

"Oh come on Juvia!" Natsu whines as he watched the two lovebirds, "He deserved that!"  
"Shut up flame-head!" Gray retorts back as Juvia continued to apologize to him  
"Juvia is sorry. Juvia just got carried away," Juvia mumbles to Gray. As Gray looked back at her, she continued, "If Gray-sama didn't shout bad words to Juvia, Juvia wouldn't be mad," she then slaps the spot again as she remembers the train of cussing Gray shouted in her ear. But when Gray yelped again in surprise, Juvia quickly apologized and rubbed his bicep.

Rolling his eyes to the two lovers, Natsu groaned before he relaxes back to his chair and mutters, "Will you two take your seat already so we could start our meeting?"

"Ah, right!" Juvia then steps back from Gray and returns to her seat as while the man followed and sat next to her.

Soon enough they began to discuss business. Gray Fullbuster is the Marketing and Sales Director of Ice Castle Industry while Juvia Lockers is the Marketing Manager, a direct subordinate of the director of the same company. Natsu has come down to Lilia City to discuss a joint project between the two companies as the Dragon Empire groups decide to open a new business.

This day isn't the official meeting yet, but for the time being, they were meeting up to clarify immediately some concerns. It took them an hour and a half to finish the discussion, and it ended with Natsu sighing out loud.

"Finally we're done!" Natsu exclaims as he drops his back to his chair and closes his eyes. Hearing Juvia chuckle, Natsu kept his eyes closed but when Gray spoke, he abruptly stared at the man with a curious look

"Oy, ash-brain, I've heard, you have a new girlfriend," Gray mutters as he fixed the files he has brought out  
"Since when are you a nosy sissy, ice-queen?" Natsu snappily answers back but before the raven-haired man could respond, an excited yelp was heard from Juvia.

"Natsu-san has a new girlfriend?!" Juvia animatedly squirms on her seat as she looks at Gray then at Natsu, simultaneously  
"You haven't heard?" Gray puzzledly looks at the blue-haired woman, "Ash-brain was taken photo with an actress,"  
"An actress?! Who?!" Juvia continues to asks but they were quickly interrupted when Natsu spoke

"You both talk about me like I'm not sitting in front of you," Natsu stated with a bored look at the two

Juvia sheepishly smiles at the pink-haired president before she bows her head to him, "Gomen, Natsu-san,"

Natsu then brushes it off as he sits up straight and stood up, making Juvia surprised while Gray confused, "Where are you going?" Gray questioned  
"I'm leaving," Natsu replies back as he takes his bag with him  
"Right now? Can't you stay?" Juvia guiltily pleads  
"Nah," Natsu shrugs the blunette, "I'll leave you two for your date,"  
"Date?!" Juvia and Gray exclaims together but with different intonation  
"Yeah," Natsu then chuckles as he side steps away from his chair and turns to leave  
"Natsu-san! I want to meet your girlfriend so I could thank her!" Juvia shouted as she watched the man leave  
"Thank her? For what?" Gray confusingly asks Juvia  
"Visit Magnolia then!" Natsu utters back, making Juvia grin and reply, "Juvia will!"

When Natsu was out of the café, Gray suddenly turns the seat of the blunette to face him, making the woman shriek in surprise.

"Why do you want to thank Natsu's girlfriend?" Gray repeatedly asks but Juvia just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Because finally, Natsu-san isn't alone anymore. He has a good reason not to hide anymore,"  
"Ahhh," Gray expresses as he recalls that time Natsu thought of unplugging in their city.

Lilia city has a large land of forest and mountains, and when Natsu thought of unplugging, they knew that Natsu was trying to be uncontacted and that would be dangerous. Knowing Natsu, he could impulsively make dangerous decisions.

"I think I should too," Gray then relaxes to his chair as he stared at the blunette, "When are you free? Let's visit Magnolia,"

* * *

Days went by and Lucy is still hardly seen in public especially with Natsu, making her news even noisier around the social media and the internet. Lucy has been continuously followed by media; trying to know what happened to the pink-haired businessman Lucy was 'previously' dating after her breakup with the actor, Loke De Leon.

With the absence of Natsu around the actress, media and netizens have begun to suspect that Lucy is indeed no longer dating the pink-haired Dragneel. This causes the mass to create different reasons why Lucy suddenly stops seeing the pink-haired man, such as Lucy still not over with the Orange-haired actor.

"Ms. Ashley, be ready in 10, you'll be heading to the stage soon," a crew from the Eclipse Beauty brand said, as she peeked inside the built-in booth for the actress  
"Okay, thanks," Lucy replies back looking at the crew through the mirror while her hairdresser continued to adjust her braided hair.

When the crew disappears after the curtain was dropped, Lucy looked back at her Ipad, showing the current internet news about her. It is just the same story about her, being still in love with Loke. Lucy thought, she may have lost the rumor about her being the stalker ex-girlfriend, but she is still perceived as the woman who is still heartbroken and still in love with the Ex.

"There you go," the hairstylist suddenly mutters, making Lucy snap out of her thoughts. Looking up at the mirror and turns her head to the side to check her hair, Lucy smiled to her hair stylist and said back, "Thanks, I love it,"  
"You look younger with your hair up like this," the stylist said and Lucy shyly blushes at the compliment  
"Oh, thank you," Lucy then looks down and bites her lower lip in nervousness

"Is there anything troubling you?" The stylist suddenly asks as she steps back from the actress and begins to fix the things she have used  
Lucy, looking up at the older woman, she gave a gentle smile before she lightly shakes her head, "No, I'm just nervous to step out in the crowd,"  
"You? Nervous?" The stylist looked at the blonde, baffled, "Knowing you for more than three years, I've never thought you'd be nervous around your fans,"  
Chuckling lightly, Lucy puts away her Ipad in her bag before she timidly looked back at the Stylist through the mirror, "You know I do get nervous,"  
Laughing at the shy actress, Shikora, the hair stylist, shakes her head and places her hands on her hips, "Well, you're naturally shy at the start but you become an outspoken person when you get comfortable. What are you nervous about?" Shikora finally turns to look at the actress, face-to-face, instead of looking through the mirror  
"Have you read the articles about me?" Lucy inquires and watched the Stylist nod her head  
"Yeah and I find it ridiculous," the stylist then pushes herself off the table she was leaning on, to walk around the blonde, "I mean just because you are not seen around that businessman it means your not over with Loke. Loke is so old news,"

Lucy then chuckles as she thought the same with the woman, "Yeah, but apparently, it's still a topic for them,"

Before the stylist could respond, another crew lifted the curtains and called on the blonde. Soon, Mirajane excused herself inside the booth and walked up to the actress.

"Ready?" Mira asks and Lucy smiles at her manager  
"Yeah," Lucy then steps down from her director's chair and fixed her dress, assisted by her fashion stylist, Mika.

"Good luck, Lucy," Mika said as she waved goodbye to the actress along with the hair stylist  
"Don't worry about the media, they'll focus on the brand," Shikora adds before Lucy disappears from the curtains.

Soon enough, Lucy slowly walked up the stage after her name was called by the two emcees. A loud chant was heard, cheering Lucy's name as they waited for her appearance. A week after the end of her series, Lucy finally makes a public appearance, which makes her fans even more excited.

 _Lucy! Pretty Lucy!_

 _Our princess! Lucy!_

 _We love you, Lucy!_

"Hello everyone," Lucy greets as soon as she was halfway through the stage and waved at the audience before her

 _Ahhh! Lucy Ashley! We love you!_

 _Lucy! Our series princess!_

"Welcome to our stage, Ms. Lucy Ashley!" A bob cut brown-haired woman greets with open arms as Lucy approaches them  
"Thank you for having me here as Eclipse Beauty Ambassador," Lucy answers as she bows her head before the media and fans gathered at the endorsement event  
"Alright, let's take our seats!" Another emcee said who has her long black hair brushed neatly at her back. Soon the trio sat down at their respective seats, with Lucy sitting on the middle plush chair while the two emcees sat at both ends of the actress.

"So, Lucy, how have you been?" The brown-haired emcee asks the actress  
"I'm good," Lucy replies with a bright smile, "After the last shooting I had for 'Secrets' I'm able to take some break and relax from all the daily tapings I had,"  
"Oh, that's nice," the black-haired emcee comments, "What have been your activities since your break?"  
"Well, I haven't done much yet besides from catching up with rest and exercise," Lucy answers with a little laughter in her tone, as the two emcees nod their head before looking down to their cue card

"No wonder Lucy looks absolutely stunning," the black-haired emcee states, "Can you tell us about your secrets in maintaining a beautiful skin?"  
Lucy then cups her cheeks as she shyly smiles at the audience, "Oh, thank you. Um, I don't have much beauty secrets but the best way to have a beautiful skin is to eat healthily and have a good rest,"  
"Yes, it's so important to eat right," the brown-haired woman agrees as she nods her head  
"I always make sure to eat vegetables, fruits, protein, and fibers. I try to eat a balanced meal even during taping sessions," Lucy adds to her statement  
"Ahh, that is nice. Eating the right food, having an exercise routine and good rest can bring out our natural beauty. But Yojika," the black-haired emcees calls on to the other woman, "What do you think is the other way to help enhance our natural beauty?"  
"Oh, Jeiha, that is simple, with Eclipse beauty new product," the brown-haired emcees finally begins the brand promotion, "Lucy, why not tell us about this new product of Eclipse Beauty,"

Lucy beamingly smiles at the emcees before she speaks before her audience, "Oh, I'd love to. Eclipse Beauty has a newly generated beauty product that protects our skin, especially our face, from harmful UVA rays. Not only that, this product also helps maintain moisture on our face, prevents our pores from producing excessive oil that could cause dark skin and pimples. This is the Neo Eclipse moisturizing cream,"

"Oh, wow!" Jeiha enthusiastically exclaims, "A cream that protects our skin from UVA rays and moisturizes our face that prevents excessive oil. Lucy, have you used this product?"  
"Of course," Lucy replies with a proud smile, "As a brand ambassador, I make sure to use the product so I may share my experience,"  
"What is your experience?" Yojika asks  
"Well, let's say I have a more refreshed face. I like using the Neo Eclipse moisturizing cream in the morning because it gives my skin a fresh feeling. It doesn't leave a greasy feeling on my face,"

The trio continued to speak about the new product and the beauty regimens Lucy uses during her shooting days. Lucy spoke with politeness and professionalism, making her more believable in endorsing the product.

Within the first half hour, a brand representative joins as well the actress, explaining the Neo Eclipse Moisturizing cream and other new products of the makeup brand. The media and fans were all attentive to the actress on stage. Soon, a few audiences were invited on stage to experience using the products, which Lucy participatively joined her fans. When the activity was done, the open microphone was given to the media, allowing them to ask any question to Lucy.

" _Ms. Ashley, can you tell us about your upcoming plans and projects?"_ One reporter asks the actress, which Lucy gladly answered  
"Well, my plan for the meantime is to take a break and just enjoy a short vacation. As for my upcoming projects, I haven't decided yet since I really do look forward to taking a short break first. But, from time to time, I guess I'll be doing some promotional events for Eclipse Beauty,"  
Soon, another media walks up to the microphone and asks, _"Are you planning to travel out of the country and where exactly do you plan to take a break?"_  
"I'd love to travel in a different country but with my schedule that sometimes changes in a day, I can't afford to leave Fiore. So, maybe just traveling to provincial places with beaches and nature would be good," Lucy ends with a smile on her face

As the third reporter comes forward, media were expecting to hear a question related to Lucy taking a break but they were taken aback when a different subject was asked.

" _Ms. Ashley, do you plan to take a break with Mr. Natsu Dragneel, the alleged recent boyfriend of yours?"_

Lucy's smile then falters a centimeter but she quickly widens her smile to hide her astonishment, "I'd love to. Um, he's…he's busy as for the moment because he's a businessman as people all know, so the schedule is really difficult for us,"

Without warning, another reporter walked up to the second microphone and asks the actress _, "Is that the only reason why he isn't spotted coming to your place?"_

Unsure of what to answer, Lucy just tried her best to fill in, "Yes…Um, he's currently in a different city for business but we keep in touch like any couples do,"

" _What does he think about the rumors running around the internet about you and him breaking up because of Loke?"_

"I don't think it's important for him to react to such issues that are untrue," Lucy finally clarifies the rumors, making the media more interested in asking questions.

" _Ms. Ashley, what does Loke think about your new relationship?"_

"I haven't talked to him. But I don't think I'd need his opinion about my relationship with Natsu," Lucy sternly answers, slowly losing the smile on her face

" _Is there any truth that you are still in love with Loke De Leon and that Mr. Dragneel is just someone trying to help you get over him?"_

"That is not true," Lucy suddenly answers with a pissed off tone but she quickly changed it for it is rude to answer in a mad tone in front of the media, "Um, I am in a relationship with Natsu because we both have mutual feelings for each other and my feelings for Loke are totally over,"

"Ms. Lucy-" a reporter starts but was quickly interrupted when Mirajane suddenly taps the microphone and mumbles, "Okay, everyone, we'd appreciate more if you ask questions regarding Lucy's endorsement for the Eclipse Beauty rather than asking about her personal life,"

And with that, the reporter returns back to his seat since his question was not regarding Lucy's endorsement. Soon enough the event ends with Lucy taking a photo with the Eclipse beauty staffs and with her fans.

When the event was over, Lucy was ushered back to her van, with bodyguards protecting her and her manager. Media crowded Lucy as they wanted a few more pictures of the actress but Lucy had hidden half of her face with shades already.

Driving away from the venue of the event, Mira silently observed the actress. Lucy was not speaking at all, and Mira could feel the tension after receiving such questions from the media. Clearing her throat, Mira softly comments, "Well, that went well," she then gave a short glance to the blonde

"…I guess," Lucy mutters back as she looks at her window  
"As you can see Lucy, your fans are very supportive of you. Many of them gave a gift for you, look," Mira gestures to look at the back couch in the van which was filled with different wrapped boxes and paper bags  
"Lucy-sama is sure missed by her fans," Laki added as she turns in her seat to glance at her boss, "You barely go out to meet friends,"  
"I'm just being evasive to the media," Lucy replies back to her assistant before she slowly pulls off her sunglasses and keeps it inside her bag  
"She has a point to be evasive," Mira agrees as she rests her back finally to her seat, knowing that Lucy was calmer now, "These internet media continuously try to keep Loke connected to Lucy even if they barely see each other anymore,"  
"Ah, right…" Laki nods to herself as she remembered reading an article about the actress, "They are also trying to make Lucy-sama bad again,"  
"It's not that," Lucy suddenly speaks, "These media just wants a scoop and without having Natsu's name or Loke's name included, they would never get the attention they want,"

Laki and Mira then became silent. They had a few more questions in their minds but they are hesitant to ask since they think this is sort of a sensitive topic for Lucy, which they wonder why.

"Um, Lucy-sama…if you don't mind, I just want to make sure…" Laki trails off, trying to test the water but Lucy abruptly looks at her and gave a bored look, "Laki, just ask,"  
"Oh, uh…" Laki then tried to compose herself as not to give the wrong question, "So, technically, you and Mr. Natsu are dating? And are still dating?"  
"Yes," Lucy simply answers before she rests back to her seat and closes her eyes.

With that, it was obvious Lucy was no longer interested in talking about her personal relationships. So, silently, Laki and Mirajane nod their head in understanding before they looked away from the actress.

* * *

Sitting comfortably on his bed, with his back resting on the headboard and legs up on the bed, Natsu sighed in relief after having that dreadful long dinner meeting with the board members of the Ice Castle Industry. Natsu is just grateful enough to have Gray and Juvia around to keep his boredom at ease. But still, he feels tired already. Being on a meeting for almost two weeks was draining and he just wants to unwind already. He has a few more days to stay in Lilia City before he returns back to Magnolia.

Oh, how he misses the people in Magnolia...

"What are up to these people?" Natsu suddenly mutters to himself as he felt a longing for his family and friends. He then reaches out for his bag, placed on the bed next to him, and pulled out his own Ipad. Within minutes, he is already scanning all the photos shown on his newsfeed.

There was nothing much that interested him as he continued to scroll until he got bored again. So, he opened a different app and played a game. He played for nearly 15 minutes until his life number in the game was finished, leaving him with no choice but to exit the app. Still bored, Natsu sighs and drops the gadget back to the bed. He stared at the turned off television until he decided he'd watch a show instead. But before he does, he goes to the bathroom and changes his clothes into his sleeping attire, which was just a black lounge pants.

"Alright, what show do we have on a Friday night?" Natsu audibly said to himself as he drops himself to the bed after he took the remote of the television. Soon, he turned it on and broadcasting news was shown. Groaning, he flips the channel and looks for a more entertaining show. A few drama series he passes by but he was too exhausted to deal with heavy dramas, so he looked for more, until he suddenly saw a blonde woman that was familiar to him.

Stopping right at the channel, he saw it was Lucy in her drama, _Secrets_ which ended a few days ago. It was just a clip while a narrator spoke about the actress.

" _The drama Secrets officially ended last Wednesday with a very heartbreaking ending. Lucy Ashley's character, Miakura Satsuei ends the show with a tear-jerking message about falling and rising up from challenges of life. How relatable is this to the actress, Lucy?_

 _Recently, Lucy Ashley had been speculated that she is single once again after being spotted several times being alone in public spots. On the last shooting week of Secrets, Lucy had been publicly seen around Natsu Dragneel, the bachelor businessman of Dragon Empire Group. But after that week, Lucy was never been spotted again with the man._

 _Could it mean Lucy is no longer seeing the businessman? And could the reason be her ex-boyfriend, Loke De Leon?_

 _Lucy Ashley's first public appearance after the end of her show was for the Eclipse Beauty endorsement event. As the brand ambassador of the said beauty brand, Lucy introduced the new product with bright smiles. With this public appearance, media took the chance to question her real status._

 _Lucy Ashley clarified that she is indeed still dating Natsu Dragneel and she is long gone over with Loke De Leon. With Lucy's statement, FUA Agency hopes to end any more rumors about her personal relationships."_

Natsu then turns off the television as he took a minute to stare and process what he heard. _Lucy is in another news rumor_.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, Natsu quickly fumbled with his phone and placed it next to his ear. After a few ring and the call was answered,

"Lucy?" Natsu hastily calls  
 _"Natsu?"_ Lucy answers, sounding so surprised with his sudden call  
"Hey," Natsu then becomes silent, suddenly unsure of what to say, "Um...how are ya?"  
 _"Me? Oh, um...I'm good. You?"_ Lucy returns the question to him  
"Yeah, me too..." Natsu pauses again as he begins to pick on the strings of his lounge pants, "Luce?"  
 _"Yeah?"_ Lucy shortly answers  
"Well...I-I...in the TV- about you..." Natsu then trails off, wincing as he sounded ridiculous, saying words that didn't quite make sense. But he was a little surprised that Lucy did understand his point when she said, _"Oh about the rumors. Yeah, pretty much I still have it and that includes you too. People are assuming I'm not dating you anymore because I have_ feelings _for Loke still..."_

Somehow hearing Lucy chuckle at her dilemma, it made Natsu chuckle as well. When he decided to call Lucy, he thought he'd hear her sounding so tired and sad but to his relief, the blonde didn't sound too sad.

"Yeah, I saw...I guess, they can't help but put your name close to Loke's," Natsu then smiles to himself when he heard Lucy chortle  
 _"Apparently,"_ Lucy then gives a soft giggle before she lies down to her own bed, _"So, what are you up to now?"_  
"Me?" Natsu points to himself even though he knew Lucy couldn't see, "Well, just got back from a dinner meeting a few hours ago," Natsu the lies down on his back and comfortably listened to Lucy  
 _"Let me guess...it was boring? Even if there was a bribe of food,"_ Natsu then chuckles out loud when Lucy guessed it right  
"How'd you know?" Natsu questions with laughter  
 _"Somehow, I have an idea of what you are like in a meeting,"_ Lucy states back with a smile on her face  
"Ahhh..." Natsu then smiles to himself as he realized Lucy pays attention to him in some way, "I bet you made Lisanna tell you stuff about me,"  
 _"No, Lisanna_ willingly _told me what you are like,"_ Lucy then laughs when she heard Natsu make a sound like he was hurt  
"I can't believe Lisanna would betray me," Natsu then rolled to his stomach as his grin continues to widen, "Hey, I suddenly remembered, did you mention to Lisanna and Levy about Erza?"  
 _"Yeah, last week. I forgot to mention it to you the last time we talked. So, sorry..."_ Lucy then makes a peace sign as if she could be seen by Natsu  
Natsu then scoffs as he said, "It's fine. At least we don't have to worry much about Erza anymore,"  
 _"Now that you mentioned Erza, do you think Erza saw the articles and news about me? Do you think she'll look into it?"_ Lucy then bites her lower lip in anxiousness  
"Don't worry about it, Erza and mom rarely watches showbiz news," Natsu reassured the blonde, knowing how paranoid the woman could be  
 _"I hope your right..."_ Lucy then trails off and just enjoyed the silence between them, listening to each other's breathing, _"Natsu?"_  
"Yeah?" Natsu softly answers like he was trying to preserve the silence  
 _"Did you call me because you were concerned?"_ Lucy asks shyly, knowing she would appear curious  
"Yeah, of course. I'm worried that the media is overstepping your boundaries," Natsu then pauses for a second and Lucy patiently waits for him to continue, "I'm worried because I can't protect you,"

And with that, silence lingered between them again. But for some reason, their silence wasn't uncomfortable, instead, it was comforting. It was comforting for Lucy because she realized she had someone who cared for her more than just as an actress. She has a friend in the form of Natsu. As for Natsu, he was comfortable in the silence because he knew what he said was true and honest. In a short span of time, he had developed the feeling to protect Lucy from people who continuously try to make her feel sad.

" _Thank you Natsu,"_ Lucy softly mumbles  
"I'll be back soon, okay? So until then, take care of yourself" Natsu said, and somehow it made Lucy blush, which she is grateful for that Natsu couldn't see her  
 _"Yes, I will…"_ Lucy then trails off as she inhales deep and suddenly said, _"Come back soon, Natsu! I miss my darling! Bye!"_

And with that the line ends, leaving Natsu speechless. Pulling the phone away from his ear, Natsu barely realizes how his cheeks were warmer than usual. Natsu stared at his phone, and soon enough, he realized what Lucy had said. He couldn't help but chuckle at the cute departing words of the blonde. Natsu shakes his head as he mumbles back to his phone as if it would send it to Lucy, "I miss this weirdo…"

 **To be continued…**


	15. Chapter 15

HELLO READERS!

I know it has been a long time since I updated a story. I bet some of you even despise my sudden hiatus here in FanFiction. I will give you one reason why I suddenly stopped updating, it's because of SCHOOL. So, currently, I'm working and at the same time studying so basically all the free time I get goes to either sleep or doing an assignment. SO I AM SORRY.

Now that I have explained myself, I offer you the latest chapter of Secret Deal, which should have been posted months ago. I have a few more days before school starts again, so I hope I can update more stories. But for now, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

Love,

FairyTailxNaLu

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

 _ **Dragneel Mansion**_  
 _10:46 PM_

On a Friday night, sitting on her computer chair, Grandine stares at the email sent to her by Erza Scarlet. The red-haired woman has sent Grandine a link to an article about the woman she was tasked to investigate. As Grandine stares at the link, she couldn't help but feel hesitant to open it. With the words Erza has left in her email, saying that it's a news about Lucy Ashley's recent rumor, Grandine couldn't help but be a little doubtful.

With a shaky hand, Grandine holds the mouse of her computer and drags the cursor to the link and clicks it. Immediately a new tab opens in her browser and the page loads. As a picture of Lucy appears, a long article comes up talking about Lucy's current status with Natsu Dragneel, then, later on, discusses the past relationship of Lucy with Loke De Leon.

With the mention of a man's name, Grandine couldn't help but wonder who this actor was. So, taking note of the name, Grandine continued to read the article. The article went on and Grandine discovers the long relationship Lucy had with the actor and how they had broken up. Grandine also became aware of the time Lucy and Loke broke up and then how Lucy began publicly seen with Natsu.

Sighing on her seat, Grandine leans back to her chair and stares at the image shown in the article. It's the photo of Lucy and Natsu taken when they were heading out of the bar, together. In a sudden moment, Grandine sits up straight and drags her mouse to the reply button. Soon, she typed in and replied to Erza that she wants a background check on the actor and all the articles related to him and Lucy.

With a heavy heart, Grandine dropped herself into her chair and clicks on the send. Soon, the email was sent and the woman barely felt comfortable in her seat again.

* * *

 **Strauss Residence**

Sitting on the couch, Mira silently watched the showbiz news about Lucy, with Lisanna sitting next to her. Although the music artist was busy texting, the older Strauss couldn't help but glance at her sister and observe her.

Without looking, Lisanna smiled to herself and mumbles, "What is it Mira-nee?"  
"Huh?" Mira startled as she sits up straight like she was caught, "Wha-what? I didn't say anything..."  
"Yeah..." Lisanna then looks at her sister, "But I can see in your eyes that you have a question for me," Lisanna grins widely when her sister turned a little red before chuckling in her spot  
"Alright..." Mira said defeatedly before she turns in her seat to face Lisanna fully, "I have been meaning to ask you this,"  
"Okay, spill it," Lisanna turned as well and faced her sister  
"Two or three weeks ago, I called Levy..." Mira then trails off as she observes the facial expression of her sister. But Lisanna didn't show any sign of surprise, "And she mentioned something to me about Lucy meeting the Dragneel's..."  
"Okay," Lisanna nods her head calmly, keeping up her calm expression  
"Do you know anything about it?" Mira then leans close to her sister as if Lisanna was going to whisper a secret

Lisanna kept her lips close and thought for a moment. She began to think about the pros and cons of telling her sister about Lucy's secret. She knew that she had a pact with Lucy that she wouldn't tell anyone about the deal. But then again, Mira is her sister and she is also the manager of Lucy. Telling her a little about the secret would help them keep the secret safer after all Mira had a lot of connections.

"Well..." Lisanna started, still hesitant to speak up  
"Yeah?" Mira gleamed as she scoots closer to her sister  
"There is nothing much I know…that you don't know," Lisanna then grins innocently as she tries to hide the fact that she is lying to her sister  
"Lisanna…" Mira calls her name like it was a silent threat, making the younger Strauss more nervous than before  
"…okay, fine!" Lisanna exclaims after staring straight at her sister's gaze, "The only thing I know is that…"

Lisanna trails off again, making Mira widen her eyes to give a little chill to her sister. Feeling uncomfortable with the crazy eyes Mira was giving, Lisanna finally continued.

"L-Lucy…um, did meet Natsu's family. Um…You know about the charity ball that the Dragneel's always have…um, Natsu brought Lucy along as his date," Lisanna then bites her lips as if she is stopping herself from speaking once again.

Finally, being able to connect the dots, Mira nods her head in understanding. She turns away from her sister with a smile on her face, making the youngest Strauss a little nervous and confused.

"I think I'm getting the whole thing…" Mira mutters softly as she nods her head in satisfaction, and this made Lisanna uncomfortable  
"What do you mean 'you get the whole thing'?" Lisanna asks  
Turning her gaze to her sister, Mira replies, "The whole thing…"

Raising her brow in confusion, Lisanna then shakes her head as she answers, "Mira-nee, I really don't get you…what do you mean the whole thing? What do you understand now?"  
"Lisanna, I think you know what I'm talking about…" Mira mischievously smiles at her sister, "This whole dating thing…"  
"W-what about it?" Lisanna innocently asks  
"I have this strangest feeling that Lucy and Natsu are dating because…" Mira then trails off as she stares and observes her sister fidget  
"Because…" Lisanna repeats as she waits for sister to continue  
"This is something made up," Mira then gave a stern look to her sister, who was unable to hide her surprise. With the reaction of Lisanna, Mira was able to confirm her thoughts  
"N-No it's not!" Lisanna denies, making Mira chuckle for a moment  
"Lisanna, do you really think I'm buying this? I've known Lucy for years as much as you do. You became friends with her because I introduced her to you when you both were starting a career in showbiz. Now, tell me about this lie," Mira then leans back to the couch and crosses her arms as she waits for Lisanna to speak up.

Left with no choice but to tell her sister the truth, Lisanna finally told Mira everything about the deal, about how Natsu and Lucy are pretending to be a couple for their personal reasons. Lisanna also mentions how Grandine is background checking Lucy and everyone else close to them to prove that they were faking the relationship.

"So, Grandine has background checked on Lucy and I didn't get to protect her from Erza?" Mira asks baffled and Lisanna confirms her sister  
"Wait, how did you know Erza? I just met her a few times but I would never have guessed you knew her," Lisanna then leans back to the couch  
"Erza used to be my batchmate in high school. She has always been good at investigating, that is why she used to be the president of the Investigation Club. But besides that, Erza has interviewed me to background check a woman that Natsu used to date,"  
"Who is this woman?" Lisanna curiously asks  
"The woman who nearly looted Natsu's inheritance money,"  
"But that woman was a model. She wasn't your handle, right?" Lisanna asks, confused  
"Yeah. But we used to model together…She was practically just starting her modeling career when I decided to step down and be officially be part of Fiore United Artist Agency," Mira then smiles triumphantly

"Anyways, back to the deal…" Mira states as she shakes her head, "What is the current situation now?"  
Lisanna then replies, "Well, Lucy told me and Levy to keep ourselves in low profile so that we wouldn't attract Erza's attention and ask us about them,"  
"That's right," Mira affirms with a nod of her head, "Keep yourselves out of Erza's radar. The last thing that should happen is for you and Levy to be confronted by Erza to ask questions about Lucy and Natsu,"  
"What shall Lucy do?" Lisanna questions as she feels nervous for her friend  
"I'll talk to her and tell her that I'll be helping her out. I know Lucy had to resort to this kind of scheme just to get out of media's old and ugly rumors," Mira then softly smiles at her sister, "Don't worry, I'll help Lucy. Not just with the media, but also with Grandine,"

* * *

Saturday morning came, and the first thing Mira had on her agenda for the day is to visit her lovely blonde actress. After knowing the truth about Lucy and Natsu, Mira couldn't wait to talk to the actress and tell her how she is supportive of this scheme they are playing.

It is just 7:30 in the morning when Mira came to the actress's condo unit and found the place empty. Knowing that every Saturday is a jogging day for Lucy, Mira made herself a cup of coffee and waited for the blonde to arrive. So, sitting comfortably on the couch in the living room, Mira scanned some magazines and began to read.

Half an hour past, the front door to the condo suddenly opens and Lucy finally appears. As Lucy shuts her door, unsuspecting any guest, she suddenly squeals in surprise when she turned and saw Mira sitting on her couch with a wide smile on her face.

"Kyaa!" Lucy shrilled while stepping back and clutching her chest  
"Good morning Lucy!" Mira greets right after the squeal of the actress, "How's your morning jog?"  
"Mira!" Lucy scolds as she stomps her foot on the floor while trying to ease down her pounding heart, "You surprised me!"  
"Obviously," Mira stated before she chuckles at the red face of the actress, "But I didn't mean to startle you like this," Mira then stood up after she has placed down her cup of coffee. She headed to Lucy and gave her a warm embrace, which Lucy quickly pulled away from as she utters, "I'm sweaty, and your so clean..."  
"Psh! Nonsense! I don't care if I hug you even if you are all sweaty because I'll still hug you if I was sweaty," Mira then laughs as Lucy slowly laughed along with the white-haired beauty.

Shaking her head, Lucy then side steps and heads to her kitchen while Mira trailed after her, "So, what made you visit me today?" Lucy asks as she prepares her own coffee, "If you're still worried about yesterday, don't be because I'm all good..."  
"Well, I knew that so technically, I didn't come here for that reason..." Mira replies as she takes a seat by the island table  
"Really?" Lucy asks back, surprised. She had her eyebrow raised up as she cocks her head to the side, "Then...why are you here?"  
"Ohhhh...something that you haven't told me," Mira vaguely answers, making the blonde even more confused  
"Um, maybe it's my lack of coffee that is why I'm not getting you. So, could you be more specific and clear, Mira?" Lucy then smiled innocently as not to offend her manager. But Mira just grinned as she leaned forward to the table and rested her chin on her open palm.

"So, how is your boyfriend?" Mira suddenly asks, which took Lucy aback with the sudden shift of topic  
"B-boyfriend?" Lucy stuttered for a moment as she felt panicked but then she quickly calmed her heart when she realized Mira was talking about Natsu, "Oh...you mean Natsu?"  
"Why, yeah..." Mira continues to grin  
"Um...he's good..." Lucy then bites her lower lip before she turns to hide her face and prepare her coffee  
"And?" Mira prompts for more information  
"And..." Lucy slowly turned to face her manager, "he's...on a business trip..."  
"When will he get back?" Mira continues to ask  
"Uh...tomorrow?" Lucy replies back but more like in a questioning tone  
"Will you be picking him up or will he be driving here?" Mira further questions, making the blonde a little bit more restless  
"Uh, he'll be dropping by?" Lucy hesitantly answers and when she noticed the growing smile of the silver-haired woman, Lucy suddenly frowned and gave a stern look at the woman, "Mira, why are you asking so many questions about Natsu and me? Is there any problem?"  
"Problem?" Mira echoes back with wide eyes then she furiously shook her head and said, "Oh! Of course not! I have no issue with you dating Dragneel..." Mira then trails off as she waits for Lucy to react  
"Right..." Lucy sarcastically replies back with furrowed brows, "But still your presence here is a big question to me, and now that you're asking me many questions, it makes me feel so cautious around you. Mira, what is going on?"

Pushing herself off from the counter, Lucy then walked towards Mira who kept her smile on her face. When Lucy was in front of the white-haired woman, she crossed her arms and gave a stern look.

"Would you please tell me what is really going on? Just be honest," Lucy stated  
"Well, let me just clear something. I didn't bombard you with questions because I am doubtful of you or something. In fact, I was trying to help you," Mira then gave a look that told Lucy that she was dead serious  
"Wait-you're helping me?" Lucy asks as she points to herself, "In what way is that helping me?"  
"With Erza," Mira confidently replies, making the blonde choke in her own spit  
"E-excuse me?" Lucy stuttering states as her eyes grew wide, "D-did you just say Erza?"

Mira then laughs as she watches the shocked expression of the blonde. She knew that saying the redhead's name would make the actress baffled but at the same time it simply sends to Lucy the message that she knows about the deal.

"Oh, dear Lucy, did you think that you could keep a secret from me?" Mira then leans forward to rest her arms over the counter and sweetly smile at the actress  
"S-secret?" Lucy denyingly repeats, which only made the silverette roll her eyes, "What secret?"  
"Lucy, should I ask what you have asked me? Should I ask you to be honest?" Mira then gives a serious face to the blonde, leaving the actress no choice but to be real  
"Okay…I admit. I'm having a secret deal with Natsu Dragneel and everything about us is fake. I'm not dating him. We're just pretending to date," Lucy answers as she stands up straight and crosses her arms

"Thank you for your honesty. Now," Mira then stands and walks toward Lucy and held her shoulders firmly, "I shall do my best to keep your secret safe from Erza and the Dragneel family,"

Confused with the words of the woman, Lucy couldn't help but raise her brow and cock her head to the side as asks, "Did I hear you right? You're going to keep my secret safe from being discovered from Erza and Grandine?"  
"Why, yes. Your diversion with Natsu is perfect to keep your rumors with Loke away from the limelight. Now, what needs to be handled is the side of Natsu. After all, that man had bad choices in his girlfriends. Those women only try to get the best out of him, particularly his money," Mira then grins triumphantly, completely ignoring the stunned look of the actress.

"I know it's surprising that a person like me would discover your secret. But you must remember Lucy, I am your manager and I would do everything to help you out with whatever issues you have. I am not just your manager, but I'm also a friend. Lisanna, Levy, and I will help you and Natsu keep your secret safe," Mira then smiles wider to assure the actress, who only fidgeted in surprise. Soon enough, Mira pulls Lucy into a hug and gave her a tight assurance of safety.

"Mira…" Lucy mumbles as she pulls away from her manager, "I don't know what to say,"  
"There is nothing to say. I just want you to trust me this time, okay?" Mira tilts her head in anticipation for Lucy's reply  
"Yes, of course," Lucy then smiles back at the woman before the hugged one another.

Soon enough, the two pulled away and headed to the living room to continue their conversation. As they sat down on the couch, Mira quickly shifts the topic.

"So, about Erza and Grandine. I have some tips for you to keep your secret safe from them," Mira then smiles confidently when she saw the eagerness in Lucy's face  
"Please, educate me how to avoid getting busted by Erza. In all fairness, that woman has good looks, but her skills are deadly," Lucy utters before she and Mira laughs together  
"Tell me about it!"

* * *

Sitting by the window in a nearby café, Natsu continued to type away on his laptop as a blue-haired woman came strutting towards him. Without getting the attention of the pink-haired president, the woman sat in front of him and grinned widely.

"It's Saturday and yet, Natsu-san is busy sitting here doing his work," the woman then sits up straight as she stared at the busy man  
"Good morning Juvia," Natsu mumbles out while he continued to stare at his computer  
"Good morning," Juvia replies back, "But it would be politer if you greet a person while looking at them,"  
And with that, Natsu looked away from his computer and stared at Juvia, eye-to-eye, and greeted once again, "Good morning, Juvia,"  
"That's better," Juvia said grinning to the man

As Natsu looked back to his work, Juvia then sighs before she leans back to her plush chair. Watching the pink-haired man, the blunette couldn't help but wonder why the president was overworking himself again despite having a colorful love life.

Slowly, Juvia smiles to herself as she sits up straight and dug into her purse bag. Pulling out her phone, she began scanning her social media and searched for a certain celebrity. After finding the person she is looking for, she excitedly clicked on a photo and showed it to Natsu.

"Natsu-san! Look!" Juvia exclaims as she wiggles her hold to her phone

Slowly looking up, Natsu immediately squinted and tried to figure out who the person was on Juvia's phone. When he finally recognized the blonde-haired actress, his eyes nearly grew wide in surprise. But he immediately calmed himself and moved back.

"It's Lucy," Natsu answers back, nonchalantly  
"Yes, I know!" Juvia then takes her phone back as she looks up at Natsu, "And I searched her for you,"  
"And why would you do that?" Natsu asked as he crossed his arms over his chest while he dropped his back to his chair  
"Because probably you miss her," Juvia sweetly smiles at the man  
Sighing at the reasoning of the blunette, Natsu couldn't help but smile at the end, "Juvia, you don't have to do that,"  
"Why not?" Juvia slightly pouted  
"Because I'm here for business…" Natsu simply replies back  
"So? That doesn't mean you can't miss her. She's your girlfriend and probably she misses you too…" Juvia then smiles warmly at the pinkette, "Why don't you call her and…chat and I don't know, talk about whatever you want,"  
"Like I said Juvia, I'm on a business trip. I need to finish this because tomorrow morning I'd be leaving Lilia. I don't have enough time," Natsu then sits up and began to work again.

As Natsu started typing again, Juvia was slowly fuming in annoyance. With her forehead crunched, Juvia seriously said, "Save your work,"

Looking up at the blunette, Natsu raised a brow as he stared at the woman, "What?"  
"I said, save your work," Juvia irately repeats  
"Okay, geez…" Natsu then clicked on the save and said, "Done,"

And with that, Juvia immediately shuts close the laptop of the pinkette and sternly looked at the man. With the intense gaze of the woman, Natsu suddenly shivered in fear as Juvia mumbles out, "You are heading out of this café and roam around the city. You'll take pictures of yourself and the place so that you'll have something to show to your girlfriend,"  
"Uh…what?" Natsu baffled asked  
"I am not letting you spend your last day here in Lilia city sitting in a café, working your ass off on a weekend," and with that Juvia stood up, making her chair screech back, "Now come on! Juvia will tour you around!"

When Juvia stepped out of her seat, Natsu blankly stared at the retreating woman. Still not moving to clean up his things, Juvia abruptly looked back and snapped at the man, "Natsu-san! Hurry!"  
"Oh! Uh-yeah!" and with that, Natsu quickly fixed his things. Soon enough, the duo stepped out of the café and headed towards the first newest heritage built in the city.

Natsu and Juvia arrived at the heritage site for the said Magical Narra Tree that said to grant wishes. As the two stood before the giant tree, the wind quickly blew, and the flowers began to flow in the air.

"Natsu-san, isn't it beautiful?" Juvia asked in enthrallment as she kept her attention to the floating flowers  
"…yeah, sure…" Natsu replies back a little sarcastically, making the woman glare immediately at him, "What? I'm serious about it,"  
"Well, you don't sound like it," Juvia replies back, annoyed  
"Well, I'm honest about what I said," Natsu answers back, trying to defend himself from the annoyed woman, "It's just that…this would have been better for you if Gray was here instead of me,"

Juvia then slightly blushed before she looked away and tried to hide a smile, "I guess you're right. But, don't worry about me. I've toured Lilia many times with Gray-sama already, so, that's good. What matters most is…you," Juvia then turns to look at Natsu with a smile on her face

With the full attention of Juvia on him, Natsu couldn't help but raise a brow at the woman as he gave a slight glance at her.

"Well, thank you for your kind consideration," Natsu then smiled weakly before he turned his back on the tree and headed for a stone bench.

As Juvia followed, the two finally sat down and just observed the people around the heritage, taking a photo. As other people wrote down their wish on a piece of paper, Natsu suddenly wondered if all people placed some wishes on that tree.

"Do all people make wish there?" Natsu asked in curiosity  
"Yeah, almost all…" Juvia then looked at the pinkette, "Why? You don't believe in the magic of it?"  
"Well…" Natsu then tilts his head in doubt, "I don't think it's magical. It looks like an ordinary tree to me,"  
Juvia then chuckles before she looks away from her seatmate and glanced at the tree, "This is not some magical show that it puffs out glitters and shine. It's the belief that people have in that tree…"  
"Did you wish there?" Natsu asked  
"Yeah, of course," Juvia replies back as if it was an obvious answer  
"Did it come true?" Natsu inquired more  
"Yes…I believe so it did," Juvia then smiles tenderly at the tree as she recalled her wish, "I met him,"  
"Oh god…" Natsu then rolled his eyes as he shook his head  
"What?!" Juvia disbelievingly exclaims, "It's normal to wish for things like that…"  
"Okay, I'm not judging…" Natsu then chuckled at the blushing face of the woman

The two then was silent but Juvia had something in her mind. As she waited a few more seconds of silence, she finally turned a bit to look at Natsu and ask him.

"So, what is your girlfriend like?" Juvia interestedly ask  
"My girlfriend?" Natsu slowly sat up straight and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, she's pretty,"  
"I know that! Lucy Ashley is a brand endorser for Eclipse Make-up. Tell me something I don't know,"  
"Okay…" Natsu then took a breath before he continued, "Um, she's just like a simple girl. She's not the stereotypical celebrity actress,"  
"Really? What makes her so important for you?" Juvia asked in fascination  
"I don't know. She seems different from all the women I've dated. She doesn't see me as a president of a company but…just an ordinary guy, who makes her laugh," Natsu then smiled to himself but when he caught himself doing so, he quickly shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Well, basically like that…"  
"Mrs. Dragneel would love her, I assure you that," Juvia then looked at heritage place as she continues, "I have this feeling that she gives you joy like you never felt before. Like, your being yourself around her just like you do with your friends,"  
"Psh, what are you saying?" Natsu then chuckles to himself  
"I'm saying…you don't act like the Natsu we know whenever you were with Hera. I know, she can be intimidating, too beautiful, but we never saw you relaxed around her. Like you're always afraid that you'd lose her,"  
"I broke up with her, remember?" Natsu said to Juvia  
"Yeah you did, but like after recovering from a nearly endless pleading with her to take you back," Juvia then shook her head, "A lot of us had to knock some senses to you,"  
"Well…I was being stupid that time," Natsu then sighed, "And it's not going to happen again,"  
"For some reason, I feel like you made a good choice with pursuing Lucy. You both have a good chemistry,"  
"How could you say that when you haven't seen her in person with me?" Natsu mischievously asks  
"Pictures…I can sense there," Juvia then chuckles as Natsu looked at her horrified  
"You are one creepy woman, you know that?" Natsu then chuckles to himself too  
"I've been told…"

* * *

 _ **Dragneel Residence**_

Sitting patiently in the living room, Erza tapped her fingers over the envelope she has on her lap. As she waits for Grandine to come down and meet her, she began to recall all the information that she has gathered about the new subject to investigate on. Soon enough, Grandine came into view with a worried smile on her face.

"Well, you seem to be quick with your job," Grandine comments as she stood a few meters away from the redhead  
"Oh, Ms. Grandine," Erza then stood up and quickly bowed before her, "I brought you-"  
"I know, take a seat," and with Grandine sat in front of the woman and gently accepted the envelope that Erza had handed

"Well, Loke De Leon is an actor under the Fiore United Artist Agency and he had debuted one year earlier than Lucy. The two became a public couple nearly three years ago and they just recently broke up," Erza then slightly sat back

"Recently?" Grandine echoes back, "Like how recent? Three months?"

"…Nearly just a month ago," Erza answers back hesitantly  
And with that, Grandine sighed tiredly as she leans back to her seat and began to lose some energy. Baffled with what she has heard, Grandine couldn't help but shake her head in disappointment.

"Natsu is lying to me again," Grandine muttered to herself before looking back at Erza, "That actress said that they just recently got together then that means…"  
"It's either Natsu and Lucy were secretly seeing one another while Lucy was still with Loke, or Natsu and Lucy are just faking their relationship," Erza states her observation, which didn't make Grandine assured at all  
"But still…Natsu still lied and that actress is using my son," Grandine's face suddenly became serious and her expression became angry, making Erza a little uncomfortable.

"Ms. Grandine, I don't want to be rude, but I think we should give Natsu a break," Erza hesitated for a moment when Grandine sternly looked back at her  
"A break? Erza, you know my son. He can be reckless and stupid at times especially with women. I am not going to allow any woman to hurt my son again and try to take advantage of him," Grandine then sat up straight as her fist suddenly tightens, "If that actress wants to play and my son is being an idiot of agreeing to this, then I shall play,"

"Ms. Grandine, I don't think that would make the situation any better. If you want, we can just confront the two and make them admit," Erza then moved closer, "Playing along with their game wouldn't make them reveal the truth,"  
"Erza, honey, I don't think you know me very well yet. I am capable of bringing someone down if I wanted to. If that actress is controlling my son, and my son is being foolish, as a mother, I shall do something about it,"

"But-"  
"No, Erza. This is not something you should be concerned about. From now on, your mission is done, and you don't have to care about what happens next. If you're worried about Natsu, go and warn him, I won't stop you. But I'm telling you, you can't stop me either," and with that, Grandine stood up and gave a serious gaze at the redhead, "Thank you for your service Ms. Scarlet, you may go," and with that, Grandine turned her back and headed upstairs.

* * *

Sunday finally came, and Lucy woke up early that day. As she wears her denim jacket over her plain white shirt, Lucy quickly grabbed her book and purse. Soon enough, Lucy headed to her door and opened it.

"Good morning," a voice quickly greeted the blonde, making the woman stumble back in surprise  
"Oh god!" Lucy exclaimed as she clutched her chest in surprise. When Lucy was able to catch herself, she looked at her unsuspected visitor and was surprised to see the pink-haired man.

"I didn't know you easily get surprised," Natsu commented as he stood up straight and shoved his hands to his pockets  
"Natsu…" Lucy utters, "What are you doing here? When did you arrive?"  
"Just this morning," Natsu then walked past the blonde and entered the condo, making the woman even more surprised, "Why? Did you plan on fetching me in the airport?"  
"What? No," Lucy said as her face scrunches and she crossed her arms over her chest, "Why are you here?"  
"For you, obviously," Natsu then grinned widely, making Lucy blush a little but quickly dismissed the thought  
"Well besides that? Shouldn't you be like, wanting to sleep instead?" Lucy asked as she walked a little closer to Natsu, who was taking a seat in her couch  
"Oh, look at you. All concerned about me," Natsu smiled wider when Lucy's face gave a bored look to him. So, Natsu stood up and suddenly tapped the head of the blonde, "Thanks for the concern but I'm okay,"  
"I wasn't concerned about you," Lucy stated back, but it only made Natsu laugh as he slowly retreated his hand from her head  
"Okay, if you say so…so, how about coffee?" Natsu offered  
"I was planning to, but you showed up in my doorstep," Lucy said annoyed

Without warning, Natsu suddenly turned Lucy around and pushed her gently towards the door. The two then headed out of the condo unit and went to the nearest café in the condominium building.

As the two sat down at the café, waiting for their order to arrive, Lucy skeptically watched the pinkette. The actress couldn't figure out why Natsu would come all of a sudden to her place.

"You know, I might melt in your stare," Natsu muttered as he slowly puts down his phone to the table and glance up at the blonde  
"Just so you know, I'm not admiring you," Lucy defended before she leans back to her seat  
"Okay," Natsu replies, shrugging off his shoulder before leaning back to his seat as well

The two then became silent for a moment but Lucy quickly broke her silence and asked the pinkette. Leaning close to the man, she asked, "Are you drunk or something?"  
"Drunk? Why would I be drunk when I just came from a business trip?" Natsu asked back, confusedly with the question of Lucy  
"I don't know…you seem different," Lucy then looked away as she leans away from the man  
"Did you miss me?" Natsu assertively asks, making Lucy abruptly glance at him with wide eyes  
"What? W-why would I miss you?" Lucy then chortles in her seat as she tries to understand what Natsu was going about  
"I'm just testing you," Natsu whispered before he smirked mischievously at the blonde. Without knowing, Lucy then slaps the man on the arm and glared back at him  
"You are one weirdo!" Lucy exclaimed before she crossed her arms over her chest

A waiter then arrives with a tray at hand. Soon enough, the waiter placed down two plates of sandwiches and a mug of chocolate mint coffee and a black coffee. When the waiter was gone, Natsu quickly grabbed his food and began to eat.

"Your presence really makes me wonder," Lucy stated as she slowly pulled her plate closer while keeping her eyes to the eating man, "I didn't expect you to be at my doorstep,"  
Looking up at the blonde, Natsu stared for a moment at the woman before him as he tried to finish his food in his mouth. When he was done, he immediately replies, "Because someone told me that I should make it up to you,"

"Make it up for me?" Lucy confusingly asks back. When Natsu nodded, Lucy asked again, "Why would you have to make it up for me?"  
"Because I wasn't here when you underwent that rumor alone," Natsu then smiled gently at Lucy when she finally accepted his reason.

Although that wasn't the whole truth, Natsu just made it another reason why he is sitting in front of Lucy having breakfast with her, despite feeling sleepy after his flight from Lilia city. When Lucy finally began to eat her food, Natsu was finally able to relax and eat his own too. Soon, the two fell into a good conversation over their food.

While Natsu and Lucy eat their breakfast, a few freelance photographers were able to capture them having their meal. With that scene being taken photographed, the images were being sent immediately to the media outlets to bring out news about the actress and the businessman. So, without Natsu and Lucy's knowledge, the two are already up on the internet again creating a noise about their reunion.

This news quickly reaches Grandine, making her smile disappear. With her determination to end the fake relationship her son is trying to show to them, Grandine decided that her plan should be on the move. So, abruptly, Grandine grabbed her phone and called her son.

 _Kring! Kring! Kring!_

"Excuse me," Natsu said as his phone ringed, interrupting his story to Lucy about his trip to Lilia City. When he answered the call, Natsu was obviously a little surprised with the caller.

"Mom," Natsu exclaimed in surprise before he slowly looked up at Lucy who's smile slowly faded after knowing it's Grandine who is calling, "Um, yeah. I just got back,"

Lucy silently watched the man be a little uncomfortable with the call. But she kept silent as not to interrupt their conversation  
"Uh, No, I'm good. Everything is good," Natsu then glanced at Lucy and tried to give an assuring smile, but it barely reached his eyes, "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a few hours…what?"

Natsu then looked alarmed as he gazed at Lucy, making the woman a little scared of what is happening. Lucy could feel her heart beat faster as she continued to watch Natsu's expression turn from one emotion to another.

"Um…yeah, sure. I'll bring her with me," and with that, Lucy's eyes began to grow wide as she began to suspect that they are talking about her  
"Okay, bye," Natsu then slowly pulled his phone away from his ear and placed it on the table

"W-what happening? Is there a problem?" Lucy inquired as she felt her body shiver in nervousness  
"Well…" Natsu trails off before he continues, "No. There is no problem," He then grinned at the blonde, but Lucy isn't convinced. With the expression Lucy has on her face, Natsu felt defeated as he decides to tell the truth.

"Okay, fine…" Natsu then swallows hard before he added, "Mom wants me to come over in the Manor,"  
"O-okay…" Lucy replies back, a little more at the edge of her seat, "But I heard-"  
"Yeah, whatever you're thinking. It's a yes," Natsu cuts off the blonde as he nods his head  
"Wait, so you're saying…" Lucy trails off this time, making Natsu finish the thought for her  
"Yep, she wants me to come over to the Mansion with you. So, I guess you're coming with me," Natsu then smiled sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed about having this surprising turn of events for Lucy.

 **To be continued…**


	16. Chapter 16

Hey Readers!

How was the previous chapter? Well, since I'm trying to make up for all the times that I did not update, I am updating this story again. So, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh, and I would like to thank you all for understanding my circumstance, especially to **SecretAddition, StellaHeartfilia, Guest** , and **Gutsy** , who expressed their welcome to me and their understanding.

Thanks for the support and understanding!

Love,

FairyTailxNaLu

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Sitting inside the red ford mustang of Natsu, the two barely made any conversation as they drive towards the Manor. As Natsu quietly taps the steering wheel, he would cautiously glance at the blonde who was totally silent in her seat. They have been driving nearly for almost 30 minutes and they haven't done any conversation since Lucy changed her clothes for the meet up with Grandine.

Clearing his throat, Natsu then attempts to make a conversation, "So-"  
"You lied," Lucy quickly interrupts  
"Huh? What?" Natsu awestruck looked at the blonde with her accusation, "I lied? What did I lie about?"  
"You were fresh from the airport when you came to my place, how can you say that you're okay?" Lucy then glanced back at the pinkette, who was stunned with her little outburst  
"Woah, princess, chill out okay?" Natsu says as he raises a hand to calm down the blonde, "I did not lie. I just didn't tell you that I came from the airport,"  
"Still, you said you were okay when obviously you not," Lucy comments back as she looks straight ahead and shook her head  
"How do you even know I'm not okay?" Natsu asks as he looks at the road for a moment before returning his gaze to the blonde  
"Because you were in a flight," Lucy subtly looked at the man but when she realized that Natsu was looking at her, she looked back at the road, trying to ignore the growing blush on her cheek  
"So what if I was on a flight?" Natsu questions again as a smile slowly creeps into his face

Lucy then kept silent, refraining herself to answer the pinkette. But the longer Natsu kept his gaze on her, the more she felt pressured to answer. So, acting quickly to stop the man, Lucy then slaps the arm of the pinkette and commanded him, "Will you keep your eyes on the road?"

Chuckling at the actress, Natsu follows the order of the woman and drove silently. As they become silent for a few more minutes, Lucy exhaled audibly before she answers the previous question of the man.

"Mira told me that you have motion sickness," Lucy slowly looked at Natsu, who only smiled at her words, "But I don't get it, why aren't you having any motion sickness now that you're driving?"  
"Well, if I'm the one driving I don't have that sickness. But when others drive for me, I do have the motion sickness," Natsu then made a quick glance at the blonde with a smile on his lips, "You really are concerned for me, are you?"

"Me?" Lucy points to herself as she quickly denies the fact, "No, why would I be?"  
"Then why would you ask Mira about it?" Natsu then looks back at the road while still smiling  
"I didn't ask, she told me…" Lucy then fixed her position from her seat as she felt Natsu's stare of confusion  
"She told you? Why would she tell you stuff like that?" Natsu asked  
"There is one thing I forgot to mention," Lucy then bites her lower lip as she slowly looks at the man  
"What is it?" Natsu insists for an answer  
"Mira…knows about our deal,"  
"What?!" Natsu loudly exclaims, making the blonde shriek in surprise, "Wasn't our deal not to mention anything about it to anybody besides from our confederates?"  
"Yeah, I know. But it wasn't me who told her, it was Lisanna. But she had no choice. Mira figured it out all by herself…you know Mira, she can be a detective if she wants to be," Lucy then sighed and slumps back to her seat, "But I guess it's good that Mira is helping us out, knowing that Erza could be a critical eye on us,"  
"I can't believe this…" Natsu ticks his head in annoyance  
"Look I'm sorry…It's not like I wanted Mira to know it," Lucy then sighs in exasperation as she looks out in the window  
"You don't have to say sorry. It's not your fault…" Natsu then sighs before he grabs the hand of the actress and gave it a little squeeze.

With the gesture that Natsu did, Lucy quickly looked at Natsu then to their hands but Natsu quickly pulled away, making Lucy feel a little sad. But Lucy shook off the feeling and looked back at Natsu, "So, what exactly are we going to do at the Manor?"  
"I'm not sure," Natsu replies back before he leans back to his seat, "Mom just said that she wanted to talk to me along with you,"  
"Should that be a concern?" Lucy asks in nervousness  
"I don't know. Mom always asks me to drop by the Manor whenever I came from a business trip," Natsu then looked at Lucy and gave a small smile, "This shouldn't be a concern. So, let's just relax and act natural, okay?"  
"Yeah, of course. Your mother has good radar and I guess she can read my body language. So, I must be relaxed…" Lucy said back, but more to herself as she tries to calm her erratic beating heart  
"What was the last news about you?" Natsu asks as he tries to figure out why his mother is summoning him and Lucy  
"Um, you and I broke up because we weren't seen together publicly again…" Lucy replies back and kept her eyes to the man  
"Ah, I see. Okay, so this is the act, we are in constant communication while I'm in Lilia city. We talk-"  
"Every night, and then we text at the morning, I got it," Lucy adds as she nods her head  
"Okay, get my phone in my back pocket," Natsu then lifts his butt a bit to let Lucy slip her hand to his back pocket  
"Your what?" Lucy looked at the man dumbfoundedly  
"Phone-right pocket," Natsu then lifts his butt again, making Lucy swallow hard

Soon enough, Lucy slips her hand into the back pocket of Natsu, making the man smile to himself. The pinkette is on the verge of teasing the woman but he refrains himself a little more. When Lucy was able to get the phone, Natsu finally lets his teasing free.

"Well you got a handful of my ass," Natsu snickers at the blushing blonde  
"Excuse me I did not!" Lucy replies back as she gawked at him, "I just took your phone like you told me!"  
"I'm just teasing, princess," Natsu then chuckles to himself when he heard Lucy growl in annoyance  
"Stop calling me that," Lucy comments back with irritation in her voice, "What do you want me to do with your phone?"  
"Open the gallery and send some photos of me to your phone," Natsu instructed  
"And why would I do that?" Lucy questions irately  
"It's called props princess. When you're going to make conversations with mom you have to show a little proof that we are in constant communication," Natsu then grinned sarcastically, making Lucy roll her eyes

As Lucy do what she is told to do, she couldn't help but feel a little irritated with the nickname Natsu is giving her. So, giving a piece of her mind, she said to the pinkette, "You know if you call me 'princess' one more time, I'm going to hit your face with your phone,"  
"Is that a threat?" Natsu teased before he gave a playful look at the blonde  
"Consider it as your death threat," Lucy menacingly said as she made an eye contact with the man, who only chuckled at her while looking away

Soon enough, the couple arrived at the driveway towards the Manor. Natsu and Lucy were now more relaxed and prepared for the show that they would perform in front of the Dragneels. What they don't know is the crowd that they would have to fool.

When Natsu and Lucy have stepped down from the car, a valet immediately parks the car of the young president. As Natsu walks closer to Lucy, he watched her fix her dress then her hair. As a stray hair is still unkept, Natsu immediately tucks it behind Lucy's ear, making the woman pull back a little with the sudden gesture.

"Now you look presentable," Natsu teased, making the actress roll her eyes  
"Whatever," Lucy mumbles before she turns away from him and headed first but Natsu immediately caught up with her and grabbed her hand.

Without warning, Natsu entwined their hands and confidently walked in as the maids bowed at them. Soon enough, a man in a dark gray suit appeared and bowed before the couple.

"Welcome back, Master Natsu," the man greeted, "Welcome, Ms. Heartfilia,"  
"Chief Mizayaki," Natsu greets back with a smile on his face, "Mom wanted to talk to me,"  
"Yes, indeed. She is currently at the study hall," Chief Mizayaki replies before sidestepping and points towards the stairs, "Let me lead you,"  
"No, it's good. I know my way," Natsu then grins at the man before he taps his shoulder and walked past him

Soon enough, Natsu and Lucy went up to the stairs and headed towards the grand hall. While they are on their own, the two whispered to one another, "Who's he?" Lucy asked quietly  
"Chief Taru Mizayaki, the chief secretary of dad," Natsu whispered back  
"Secretary? Wow…" Lucy sighs in awe  
"What's so wow about that? You came from a rich family doesn't your dad have one too?" Natsu questions back, but Lucy just shrugged her shoulder and whispered back  
"I don't pay much attention to my father's staff. After all, I don't get to see him most of the time,"  
"Really?" Natsu baffled asked but he didn't insist an answer anymore when Lucy threw him a serious look that told him to quit asking about her family.

Natsu and Lucy finally arrived at the grand hall and the butlers opened the doors for the two. As the doors are being opened, Lucy suddenly leaned closer to Natsu and whispered, "I forgot to ask, why are we meeting her in the study hall?"

With the doors wide open, a loud cheer was heard, making Natsu unable to answer the blonde. Before them is a group of women that is familiar to Natsu. These women are his relatives.

"Natsu!" One woman with dark blue hair called unto him as she stands up from her seat. Opening her arms wide, she stepped away from her seat and walked closer to the couple.

As for Natsu and Lucy, the two slowly walked into the grand hall with pure confusion and nervousness in their body.

"It's been a long time!" the woman comments before she hugs the pinkette, making him let go of Lucy due to the sudden embrace  
"Auntie Grizela," Natsu greets back after pulling away from the woman, "Indeed a long time,"  
"Oh, who is this woman?" Grizela questions as she eyes the blonde actress, who fidgeted a little with the attention thrown at her  
"She's Natsu's girlfriend," Grandine suddenly answers as she walks towards the group  
"Mom," Natsu greets and hugs Grandine  
"Hello," Grandine greets back as she hugs her son back. When they pulled away, she watched her son stand close to Lucy and wrapped his arm around her waist, "Welcome my dear,"

"Oh, thank you for inviting me," Lucy then bows her head to the two older women  
"I'm Grizela Marvell-Eucliffe," the dark blue-haired woman said as she extends her hand for a handshake, "And you are?"  
"Lucy Heartfilia," Lucy replies back as she takes Grizela's hand for a handshake  
"Ah, I see. You're a Heartfilia, no wonder I see Layla's face in you," Grizela states back with enthusiasm  
"Anyways, sister, why don't we invite them to the table to meet everyone?" Grandine interrupts as she loops her arm to her sister's  
"Right! Of course," and with that Grizela turns her back from them and left the two to follow

"Everyone, Natsu, and Lucy will be joining us today," Grandine announces as she walks back to her seat  
"That's great!" Another woman with a salmon pink hair states, "Hi honey," she suddenly greets when Natsu leaned down to give an embrace to another of her aunt, "Hello Auntie Fera,"

Soon, Natsu embraced each one of the women inside the grand hall for they were all his aunties. When he was done, he walked back to Lucy and wrapped his arm around her waist again, "Everyone, I bet you have seen her at the last Charity ball. But I would like to introduce her once again. Lucy Heartfilia, my love of my life," Natsu then looked at Lucy, who quite blushed at the introduction.

Without being obvious, Grandine rolled her eyes with her son's introduction to the actress. But she immediately changed her expression and smiled towards the couple, "Now, now, why don't you two take your seats and we'll begin to plan,"  
"Plan?" Lucy suddenly asks  
"Yes, didn't my son tell you about our tradition?" Grandine then raised her brow at the couple, making Natsu a little uncomfortable with the look his mother is giving  
"I-I forgot it's this time of the year," Natsu then shakes his head as if to shake off his uneasiness

When Lucy looked at Natsu, the man quickly smiled to reassure her. With the look that Natsu gave, Lucy finally decided that she'd ask Natsu about this tradition later on after dealing with their present situation.

"Well then, take your seats so that we may begin," Grandine then watched the two nervously take their places. As they started their planning, Grandine thought to herself, _watch yourselves, my dear_.

* * *

When the planning ended, Natsu and Lucy excused themselves and headed to the bedroom of the young president. The room was well kept, making the place obvious that the room is not being used by anyone.

"Well, your room is decent," Lucy mutters as she walks inside the large room  
"The maids try to keep it as clean as always," Natsu replies back tiredly as he pulls off his scarf and gently placed it on a chair.

Out of habit, Natsu unbuttons his dress shirt and heads towards his closet to change. As for Lucy, being unaware of Natsu's task suddenly turns and sees him in his underpants. Quickly blushing at the sight, Lucy quipped herself around and stare at the wall.

"Y-Y-You could have told me you're ch-changing!" Lucy suddenly exclaims as she holds her burning face  
"Oh," Natsu mumbles back as he peeked at his shoulder and saw the back of the blonde, "Sorry about that,"  
"Uh, Natsu, sometimes…" Lucy mumbles to herself  
"What did you say?" Natsu asks back as he finally finishes dressing up comfortably  
"Nothing," Lucy then turns around fast, unaware that Natsu was behind her. With their short distance, Lucy suddenly stumbles forward, making her fall unto him but Natsu quickly stops the fall when he wrapped his arms around her waist  
"Woah, there," Natsu uttered when he caught her, "You okay?"  
"Y-yeah!" Lucy stutteringly exclaims before she pushes herself off him

When they were a step away from one another, Lucy quickly sidestepped and sat down on Natsu's bed and gazed around the room.

"So," Lucy started, "Do you mind telling me about this tradition?"  
"Oh…" Natsu slowly turned and headed towards the bed. He then lies down with his legs dangling on the bed, "That tradition is the worst,"  
"The worst?" Lucy repeats as she curiously looked at the pinkette, "But when we were planning, all the activities and events sounds so exciting,"  
"Well, aside from the activities and events done, being in that vacation itself would be the worst for us," Natsu replies back as he prompts himself up with this forearm  
"Why?" Lucy turns a little to face the pinkette  
"Because all of my family relatives will be there, and they would be interrogating us," Natsu then sits up and moves closer to the blonde  
"So?" Lucy looked at the man as if he was being ridiculous  
"Luce, this only means that they will try to get us caught. This is what mom does when she wants to know someone," Natsu seriously stared at the blonde, who was finally understanding the whole point of the tradition  
"B-but…you said this is the time of the year…then this means every year, you do this vacation," Lucy replies back with her eyes wide  
"No…like I said, it's a tradition. A vacation tradition…" Natsu then sighed before he stands up and walked around his room, "Whenever a member of the Dragneel or Marvell Clan is dating or marrying someone, they bring this person along in the vacation tradition, to get to know them better,"  
"Okay…this shouldn't be a problem, right? I mean, they will just get to know me," Lucy tries to shrug off the issue but Natsu was acting differently  
"Yeah, get to know you in a way that maybe you'll find it…traumatic?" Natsu suggests, not sure how to put to words the vacation tradition  
"Traumatic?!" Lucy suddenly stands up in alarm, "What do you mean traumatic?! Are they going to torture me or something?!"  
"No-no-no-no," Natsu walked up to Lucy and grabbed her shoulder to stop her from shaking, "Um, how do I put this…they will put you to test…a lot of tests,"  
"Test?" Lucy echoes back  
"Yeah, a test for generosity, honesty, secrecy, um…" Natsu then tried to think more about what they would do during the vacation  
"Wa-wait…" Lucy said as she shakes her head in disbelief, "So, they are going to test my values?"  
"Something like that…" Natsu replies tilting his head in uncertainty  
"Okay…" Lucy then sighed in tiredness, "I thought I will die…"  
"No-no-no," Natsu then chuckled a little, "You're not going to die. But it will kill our fake relationship,"  
"Oh…Now, I understand," Lucy then stood up straight and looked at Natsu straight in the eyes, "We can't let them discover the truth or else…"  
"They will call you fraud, and make you the bad person," Natsu then swallows hard, "They will turn this fake relationship as your idea and say that you manipulated me to get whatever inheritance I have. They will destroy your career," Natsu then dropped his head to Lucy's shoulder as he realized what his family can do when they discovered the fake relationship they were making.

"Seriously? They will do that?" Lucy utters as she stumbles a little with Natsu's weight on her shoulder  
"I don't know…but they can," Natsu then lifts his head and looked at Lucy for a moment, "Just like what they did with Hera,"  
"Hera? Who's Hera?" Lucy questioned as she followed Natsu with her eyes  
"The ex-girlfriend, who literally tried to loot my inheritance," Natsu stated as he dropped down to the bed  
"Oh…" Lucy then felt tired, making her walk close to the bed and drop next to Natsu.

As she takes her seat, Natsu looked at her with concern in his eyes. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and quietly asked, "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah…I just didn't expect this," Lucy then looked at Natsu and gave a tired smile  
"Do you want me to bring you home?" Natsu offered as he noticed the tired eyes of the woman  
"Maybe later…do you mind if I take a rest here in your bed?" Lucy asked permission and Natsu immediately shook his head.

As Natsu stood up, he urged Lucy to lie down in bed and rest for a few hours as he would just head downstairs a bit. And with that, Lucy tucked herself comfortably in bed while Natsu headed out of the room.

* * *

Gathered in her office, Grandine, her sisters, and sister-in-law, all sat down by the center table and talked about the planning they did in the grand hall. But more than that, they discussed Lucy Heartfilia.

"So, Dine, what is this hunch that you have for Natsu's girlfriend," Safera Dragneel-Redfox asked as she rests back to her chair and crossed her arms  
"It's not a hunch," Grandine replies as she turns to her sisters, "I asked someone to investigate their relationship,"  
"And what happened?" Grasia Marvell-Cheney questioned this time  
"It didn't turn out well as I hoped," Grandine then pulled a chair and sat down. As she slumps back to her seat, she looked at her sisters sadly and said, "I wanted the investigator to prove to me that the two are really dating. But then my investigator found out some showbiz news about Lucy,"  
"Oh, so that woman is an actress…" Grizela then tilts her head in wonder, "No wonder she looked familiar,"  
"Isn't she the actress who has a rumor about her boyfriend?" Safera questioned to her companions  
"You're right Fera. Lucy does have a rumor about her ex-boyfriend. She was being called the obsessive ex-girlfriend stalker of Leo De Leon," Grandine confirms as her expression slowly turned serious  
"Well, I think as an actress it's normal for her to have rumors like that. I don't think that's enough reason for us to do the interrogation on the second level," Grasia comments as she smiles to her sister  
"If you will look at it like that, I guess you're right. But that's not the case, Grasia," Grandine then glared at her sister but the younger Marvell knew it was not directed to her, "That woman is trying to fool us,"  
"What do you mean?" Safera worriedly asks  
"Natsu and Lucy have told me that they have been seeing each other for a few months, when in fact, Lucy and her ex-boyfriend just broke up nearly four weeks ago. So now tell me they aren't lying about their relationship," Grandine menacingly questions back to her sisters  
"Maybe…Natsu is the affair of Lucy that's why they broke up," Grizela counters back, which only made Grandine chuckle in annoyance  
"Seriously, you think Natsu would allow himself to be an affair? I didn't teach him to be a third party to any kind of relationship. And besides, those _few months_ that they are saying, I have countered check Natsu's security in seeing any blonde woman around him and all they said was that Natsu goes to work then back home," Grandine then inhaled and exhaled as she tries to calm herself, "This only tells me that Natsu is lying to me again and he's allowing himself to be a fool,"

"Grandine," Safera called as she puts down her teacup, "Why don't you just calm down and talk to them,"  
"So what? so they could tell me lies again and convince me that they are seeing one another for real when in fact they're just faking it? No thank you. I do not want to see my son being used for other people's advantage and cause my son his own destruction," Grandine pushed her chair back and stood up, "If you all don't want to help me interrogate this actress, then fine. I'll do it on my own," Grandine then stepped away from her chair  
"Dine, it's not that," Grizela quickly says as she tries to calm her sister, "It's just that, we need to calm ourselves about this. After all, she is a Heartfilia and attacking her might spark another conflict of families,"  
"I'm not scared of Jude," Grandine quickly replies as she turns to her sister, "If there is anyone who should be scared, it should be him. He shouldn't allow his daughter using my son for her own benefits,"  
"Dine, relax, please," Safera insists as she finally stood up as well, "I know how much you hated what Natsu had gone through before, but we can't always be at the edge of our patience and understanding just because he's keeping a secret,"  
"Fera, I don't want to see my son being destructive again to himself. I promised to this family that I would protect him, and this is me keeping my promise," Grandine then exhaled deeply before she continues, "So please, help me destroy this lie that Natsu and Lucy are trying to keep," and with that, she turns and leaves the room.

* * *

Feeling comfortable in her position, Lucy scooted closer to the warmth that envelopes her. As she sighs in content, Lucy then hears a soft grumbling, but she quickly dismisses it. Making another attempt to move closer to the warm sensation she could feel, another mumbling was heard, making her open her eyes one-by-one. The instant she opened her eyes, Lucy saw a tan-colored wall that looked fleshy and human. With this odd view before her, she couldn't help but wonder what this wall is. So, slowly, Lucy touched the wall in front of her face with her finger and another mumbling was heard. With that sound, it easily clicked to Lucy's mind and she quickly pulled her head back.

With wide eyes, she saw Natsu's face and saw him asleep. Lucy immediately looked down and tried to study the view before her. That is when she realized she was overly close to Natsu's bare chest. At that instant, her cheeks flamed as she continued to stare at Natsu's bare form. When she realized that she should be pulling away from him, Lucy was unexpectedly tugged closer to Natsu when he tightened his hold on her. With this close proximity, it made Lucy even more bashful.

Lucy then thought to herself, _"Oh my goodness, why is this happening?"_

Natsu then mumbles once more before he tightens his hold on Lucy again, making the woman kiss the chest of the man unintentionally. Gawking at what happened, Lucy couldn't help squirm in her position, making Natsu a little awake.

Slowly looking up at Natsu, Lucy mumbles, "Uh, Natsu…" she then waits for him to wake up, but he just groaned at the sound

"Natsu~" Lucy tries one more time, but nothing happened.

When Natsu still didn't wake up, Lucy had nothing else to do but sigh in disappointment. Despite the continuous attempt of Lucy to wake the man, Lucy realized that Natsu may be too tired after his flight that morning and let him sleep instead. So silently, Lucy let him hug her close.

As they stayed in that position, Lucy couldn't help but smell the natural scent that Natsu has on his skin. Sniffing closer to his chest, Lucy smelled the scent of forest wood and cinnamon, making her smile unconsciously and giggle in happiness. Although she doesn't know why it made her giddy, she let herself be and just enjoyed the embrace. Until later, Natsu loosened his hold on Lucy as he turned in bed.

With the lost body contact, Lucy suddenly felt a little disappointed, but she quickly shook her head and dismissed the thought. Right after, she sat up straight and observed the room.

It's nearly dark already as the sun sets down, making it obvious to Lucy that the day is close to an end. As Lucy slowly got out of bed, she then walked towards the glass door to the balcony and observed the large garden of the Dragneels. There she saw a few bodyguards rounding the vicinity, making Lucy scoff at the memory she had in their old Manor.

"Funny, how I wanted to escape the life I had seven years ago and now I'm in the same set up again," Lucy then rolls her eyes in the hypocrisy she realized  
"Did you run away or something?" a voice suddenly asked, making Lucy jump out of her skin as she turns around to see Natsu slowly walking up to her, rubbing his eyes awake  
"Goodness, Natsu, you scared the shit out of me again," Lucy said as she leans back to the railing, making Natsu chuckle at the expression Lucy have on her face  
"I guess you easily get surprised," Natsu comments back as he leans to the railing next to Lucy. As he glances at the blonde, he was about to question the blonde about her past, but Lucy beat him, saying, "Don't bother to ask, because I don't feel like being a storyteller tonight,"  
"I didn't say anything," Natsu then smirks at Lucy, making her roll her eyes  
"You had that look," Lucy replies back  
"What look?" Natsu said as he suddenly towers over her, trapping her under his arms. With the shift of position, Lucy suddenly stepped back but it was pointless because she was already leaning on the railing. When Natsu leaned down his face closer to hers, Lucy couldn't help but inhale sharply as she kept her eyes on the dark onyx eyes of the man on top of her.

"What look?" Natsu whispered seductively, making Lucy even more flustered before she looks away from him  
"Natsu," Lucy whispered his name softly. When she imagined Natsu's smile coming up on his face, Lucy suddenly clenched her jaw and deadly looked back at the pinkette, "Get out of my personal space before I hit you,"  
Chuckling at the threat of the blonde, Natsu then nods his head as he replies, "Okay, I believe you," and with that Natsu stood up straight as he crossed his arms over his bare chest

"Aren't you cold or something?" Lucy suddenly asks as she keeps her eyes to the half-naked form of the president  
"Huh?" Natsu raised his brow in confusion  
"You're naked," Lucy simply stated before she looked up at the sky to hide her warm cheeks and mumbled, "Oh god, what is wrong with this man?"  
"Oh, I'm giving you a favor," Natsu teased, "Don't you like it?"  
"Seriously?" Lucy baffled asked back as she looked back at the man  
"Just kidding," Natsu then laughed before he ruffles the blonde locks of the woman and headed inside to wear his shirt.

When Natsu was dressed, he called Lucy and urged her to come in, "Come on, let me tour you around the Manor,"  
Raising her brows, Lucy then crossed her arms as she answers, "What's the catch?"

Natsu then sighed before he shook his head and walked closer to her. The moment he stood before her, Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled her inside as he replies to her question, "Nothing,"

As the two walked around the Manor, hand in hand, a few Dragneels saw them and greeted them. When Wendy saw Lucy, she quickly gave the actress a hug and told her that she was excited to spend the vacation trip with her. Despite knowing what the vacation is really for, Lucy excitedly told Wendy that she couldn't wait as well to get to know them better.

Soon enough, Natsu and Lucy bid goodbye to everyone in the Manor and left for Lucy's home. In less than an hour, the two arrived at the condo. Being the gentleman that he is, Natsu walked Lucy back to her place and waited for the blonde to get inside.

"Well, this day turned out to be unexpected," Lucy softly smiled at the man before her, who smiled back at her  
"Yeah," Natsu then just stared for a few seconds before he continued, "But thank you,"  
"Thank you? For what?" Lucy questions as she cocks her head to the side  
"For keeping up with my family," Natsu bashfully then looked at Lucy, who found it the first time  
"Of course. We had a deal and in this deal, we are partners. We have to help each other," Lucy then genuinely smiled at the man, who returned the favor  
"Alright," Natsu then leaned to the side and gave a soft kiss to Lucy's cheek before he quickly pulled away and say, "Bye,"

With the gentle gesture that Natsu gave her, Lucy was left stunned for a few seconds. But when she saw Natsu turn his back and leave, she quickly shouted to him, "Hey," when Natsu turned and waited for her to continue, Lucy swallowed hard before she continues, "Do you mind if you join me for dinner?"

Natsu then chuckles at the cute face Lucy have on her face, "Yeah, sure," and with that, Natsu walked back to Lucy's unit and closed the doors.

 **To be continued…**


End file.
